A Nissan CVT transmission is a continuously variable transmission used by the Japanese automaker in everything from there subcompact models, all the way up to their high-end luxury vehicles. Known as the Xtronic CVT, this transmission actually has no gears to shift through, so it can provide a seamless and smooth driving experience. Now let’s take a closer look and find out just what is a Nissan CVT transmission.
What Transmission Do I Have?
So what is a Nissan Xtronic CVT?
The Xtronic CVT is the modern version of the continuously variable transmission that Nissan has been using in their vehicles for many years. Instead of traditional gears, this Nissan transmission uses a V-shaped belt that is suspended between two pulleys. One of the pulleys is driven by the engine, and the other sends power out to the drive wheels. The two halves of the pulleys are cone shaped, and can spread apart or push together depending upon the gear ratio that the computer is trying to achieve.
A traditional automatic transmission is limited to a set number of gear ratios, while a CVT transmission can achieve a nearly infinite number of gear ratios to suit the economy or performance objective that the transmission control unit is going for. The difference is, the computer will determine the optimal engine RPMs that should be maintained in order to achieve either the performance that the driver is requesting, or improved fuel economy based on the cruising speed. Since there are no gears to work through, the transmission will simply keep the engine revving at the prescribed RPMs. This can create a rather pronounced engine drone during acceleration, sort of like if a traditional transmission were stuck in a single gear and refused to shift.
Once cruising speed is reached/the driver backs off of the throttle, the computer will adjust the pulleys and CVT belt to achieve a higher gear ratio for better fuel economy. This will suddenly drop the engine RPMs, which when combined with the engine droning during acceleration, give the Nissan Xtronic CVT a sort of rubber band feeling. If you need to accelerate from your cruising speed, it can sometimes take a tick or two for the computer to adjust everything to create the appropriate lower gear ratio. All of this can be rather disconcerting to the uninitiated. However once you getting used to the driving characteristics of this type of transmission, the experience can be surprisingly smooth and seamless. Plus, there is a function that creates synthetic shift points, so the Xtronic CVT feels like a traditional automatic transmission.
If you would like to learn more about the Nissan Xtronic CVT transmission, check out the links below:
Nissan CVT: Everything you need to know
What Transmission Do I Have?
