Steering column for a motor vehicle, comprising - an actuator unit with at least one jacket tube , in which a steering spindle is mounted rotatably about a longitudinal axis (L) of the jacket tube ; - a holding unit which can be connected to the body of the motor vehicle and in which the actuator unit is displaceably arranged; - at least one clamping device by means of which the adjusting unit can be fixed relative to the holding unit , the clamping device comprising at least one clamping lever and at least one clamping shaft which are coupled to one another in a rotationally fixed manner, and the clamping shaft having at least one cam which is connected to the clamping shaft in a rotationally fixed manner; - at least one locking device , which comprises at least one locking element , which is arranged in the holding unit , and at least one engagement element , which is connected to the actuating unit , the cam corresponding to a link path of the locking element in such a way that the locking element can be brought into engagement with the engagement element by a rotary movement of the cam , wherein the link path has a first ramp region , a second ramp region and an intermediate transition region , from which the ramp regions start, from which the ramp regions are formed, wherein the first ramp region is formed as an ascending ramp and the second ramp region comprises a descending ramp characterized in in that the locking element is arranged in the holding device in such a way that it is arranged displaceably in a height direction (H) and is fixed in terms of displacement in the direction of the longitudinal axis (L). - an actuator unit with at least one jacket tube , in which a steering spindle is mounted rotatably about a longitudinal axis (L) of the jacket tube ; - a holding unit which can be connected to the body of the motor vehicle and in which the actuator unit is displaceably arranged; - at least one clamping device by means of which the adjusting unit can be fixed relative to the holding unit , the clamping device comprising at least one clamping lever and at least one clamping shaft which are coupled to one another in a rotationally fixed manner, and the clamping shaft having at least one cam which is connected to the clamping shaft in a rotationally fixed manner; - at least one locking device , which comprises at least one locking element , which is arranged in the holding unit , and at least one engagement element , which is connected to the actuating unit , the cam corresponding to a link path of the locking element in such a way that the locking element can be brought into engagement with the engagement element by a rotary movement of the cam , wherein the link path has a first ramp region , a second ramp region and an intermediate transition region , from which the ramp regions start, from which the ramp regions are formed, wherein the first ramp region is formed as an ascending ramp and the second ramp region comprises a descending ramp characterized in in that the locking element is arranged in the holding device in such a way that it is arranged displaceably in a height direction (H) and is fixed in terms of displacement in the direction of the longitudinal axis (L). <EOS>