One of the hallmarks of some of the Nissan cars , from the perspective of technology, is the CVT, or continuously variable transmission. The CVT has been used for more than half a century, but wasn’t in wide use in the U.S. until the 1990s.
What is the CVT? Essentially, the CVT is a transmission that does what a regular transmission does, but it accomplishes this task with fewer moving parts and more fuel economy. It differs from a traditional transmission in that there aren’t a set number of gears. A conventional transmission usually has a set of gears, and only powers those gears based on the gear ratio. A CVT, instead, uses pulleys and belts to create an almost limitless number of gear ratios. This means that the transmission will constantly adjust, using the right ratio for the needs of the engine at that particular time. Because of the way the CVT interacts with the engine, a car equipped with the CVT will use less gas than a car with a traditional transmission.
One of the most noticeable differences between a traditional transmission and the CVT is that you can feel it in the vehicle when a traditional transmission changes gears. There will be a bit of a lurch during acceleration, and the engine will change note. The CVT provides a constant engine note, on the other hand, and you can’t feel it change gears.
The CVT is best used with a front wheel drive vehicle with low or moderate horsepower. Many Nissan cars use the CVT, while Nissan trucks will continue to use traditional transmissions.
Why not come out to our New Jersey Nissan dealer today and test drive one of our CVT-equipped cars. Feel the difference that this technology makes.
