Nissan Promises An Improved CVT – HOT

If you want to get an automatic transmission-as most car shoppers prefer-on a Nissan, you’ll most likely end up with a CVT. That’s, to put it as simply as possible, a belt-and-pulley system rather than gears and hydraulics.

Nissan has just announced that the CVT it uses across most of its lineup in place of conventional automatic transmissions will soon get some important drivability and performance improvements.

Relative to the current-generation CVTs that are available in most of Nissan’s car and crossover lineup, including the 2009 Nissan Cube, plus the Nissan Sentra, Rogue, Altima, Murano, Maxima, and some Versas, the new transmission has an available transmission ratio—essentially the span between the lowest and highest possible ‘gearing.’ Nissan says that the new ratio-of 7.3:1, compared to the current 6.0:1-is higher than typical seven-speed automatics used with larger engines.

2009 Nissan Cube

2009 Nissan Sentra 2.0

Enlarge Photo

2009 Nissan Rogue SL

2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid

2009 Nissan Maxima

The CVT is co-developed by Nissan and its captive transportation supplier JATCO. Nissan claims to have shortened overall length by ten percent and weight by 13 percent compared to “conventional CVTs in its class,” and the new unit has more of an emphasis on fuel economy.

The new CVT also has improved Adaptive Shift Control (ASC), which helps the unit choose the best ratio for particular conditions, like climbing steep grades.

CVTs make a lot of sense from an economic standpoint for both the buyer and the automaker. They typically cost the automaker significantly less than a conventional automatic transmission, while they often return better fuel economy and better acceleration.

Case in point: Subaru has introduced a CVT in place of a conventional automatic for some versions of the 2010 Legacy. The base 2.5i Legacy gets 23 mpg city, 31 highway with the new CVT (and, of course, all-wheel drive), versus 19 mpg city, 27 highway with the six-speed manual.

Currently, Chrysler also offers CVTs in place of conventional automatics on its 2009 Dodge Caliber, Jeep Patriot, and Jeep Compass small-car models; the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer also has an available CVT.

Downsides? The most common complaint, especially with four-cylinder engines, would be the drone. CVTs tend to hold engine revs in the power band when accelerating, so hills or passing can seem noisier than they might otherwise be. In the absence of hills or aggressive driving, it’s not at all bothersome.