First impressions: 2010 Subaru Legacy

version of Subaru's all-wheel-drive mid-size sedan. Subaru has made some smart mid-size changes like expanding the back...

Hmmm, a CVT transmission has finally come to Subaru? I wonder how reliable it will be? I haven't heard good things about CVT's elsewhere.

Yousuf Khan

I think they invented a CVT - or at least popularized it with the old Justy. I also think FHI makes the CVT in some Nissans.

hope it works out OK

Carl

Dating that, a Dutch company called DAF (they make big European trucks) had a CVT back in the 60's/70's. They used a system of belts similar to the setup on an old Bridgeport machine.

Interesting...DAF is now wholly owned by PACCAR, the company in Washington the makes Peterbuilts and Kenworths...

Seems i was a bit off:

A CVT, called Variomatic, was designed and built by Huub van Doorne, co-founder of Van Doorne's Automobiel Fabriek (DAF), in the late 1950s, specifically to produce an automatic transmission for a small, affordable car. The first DAF car using van Doorne's CVT, the DAF 600,was produced in

1958. [6] Van Doorne's patents were later transferred to a company called VDT (Van Doorne Transmissie B.V.) when the passenger car division was sold to Volvo; its CVT was used in the Volvo 340.

Here's a picture of the humongous tranny, both in and out of the car...

Yeah, I said 'A' CVT. I THINK a Citroen or Audi or ??? also had one at one time.

Carl

>>>>>

from Wikipedia (which has links to nany CVT designs); History

Leonardo da Vinci, in 1490, conceptualized a stepless continuously variable transmission. [3] The first patent for a toroidal CVT was filed in Europe in 1886, and a US Patent for one was granted in 1935. [4]

In 1910 Zenith Motorcycles built a V2-Motorcycle with the Gradua-Gear which was a CVT. This Zenith-Gradua was so successful in hillclimb events, that it was eventually barred, so that other manufacturers had a chance to win.

1912 the British motorcycle manufacturer Rudge-Whitworth built the Rudge Multi. The Multi was a much improved version of Zenith's Gradua-Gear. The Rudge Multi was so successful that CVT-gears were eventually barred at the famous Tourist Trophy race (which was the world's most important motorcycle race before the great war) from 1913 on.

In 1922 Browne offered a motorcycle with variable-stroke ratchet drive using a face ratchet.[5]

An early application of CVT was in the British Clyno car, introduced in

1923.

A CVT, called Variomatic, was designed and built by Huub van Doorne, co-founder of Van Doorne's Automobiel Fabriek (DAF), in the late 1950s, specifically to produce an automatic transmission for a small, affordable car. The first DAF car using van Doorne's CVT, the DAF

600,was produced in 1958. [6] Van Doorne's patents were later transferred to a company called VDT (Van Doorne Transmissie B.V.) when the passenger car division was sold to Volvo; its CVT was used in the Volvo 340.

Many snowmobiles use a rubber belt CVT. In 1974, Rokon offered a motorcycle with a rubber belt CVT.

In early 1987, Subaru launched the Justy in Tokyo with an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (ECVT) developed by Fuji Heavy Industries, which owns Subaru. In 1989 the Justy became the first production car in the U.S. to offer CVT technology. While the Justy saw only limited success, Subaru continues to use CVT in its keicars to this day, while also supplying it to other manufacturers.[7]

In the summer of 1987 the Ford Fiesta and Fiat Uno became the first mainstream European cars to be equipped with steel-belted CVT (as opposed to the less robust rubber-belted DAF design). This CVT, the Ford CTX was developed by Ford, Van Doorne, and Fiat, with work on the transmission starting in 1976.[7]

The 1992 Nissan March contained Nissan's N-CVT based on the Fuji Heavy Industries ECVT.[7] In the late 1990s, Nissan designed its own CVT that allowed for higher torque and included a torque converter. This gearbox was used in a number of Japanese-market models. Nissan is also the only car maker to bring roller-based CVT to the market in recent years. Their toroidal CVT, named the Extroid, was available in the Japanese market Y34 Nissan Gloria and V35 Skyline GT-8. However, the gearbox was not carried over when the Cedric/Gloria was replaced by the Nissan Fuga in

2004. The Nissan Murano, introduced in 2003, and the Nissan Rogue, introduced in 2007, also use CVT in their automatic transmission models. In a Nissan Press Release, July 12, 2006 Nissan announced a huge shift to CVT transmissions when they selected their [XTronic CVT technology] [1]for all automatic versions of the Nissan Versa, Nissan Sentra, Nissan Altima and Nissan Maxima vehicles in North America, making the CVT a truly mainstream transmission system. One major motivator for Nissan to make a switch to CVT's is as part of their 'Green Program 2010' aimed at reducing CO2 emissions by 2010.

After studying pulley-based CVT for years, Honda also introduced their own version on the 1995 Honda Civic VTi. Dubbed Honda Multi Matic, this CVT gearbox accepted higher torque than traditional pulley CVTs, and also includes a torque converter for "creep" action. The CVT is also currently employed in the Honda City ZX that is manufactured in India and Honda City Vario manufactured in Pakistan.

Toyota used a Power Split Transmission (PST) in the 1997 Prius, and all subsequent Toyota and Lexus hybrids sold internationally continue to use the system (marketed under the Hybrid Synergy Drive name). Although sold as a ECVT it is in fact not such a device as the gear ratios are fixed. The PST allows either the electric motor or the internal combustion engine (ICE) or both to propel the vehicle. The response of the complete system (under computer control) is similar in feel to a CVT in that the ICE speed is relatively low and constant under low power or high and constant under high power. Toyota also offers a non-hybrid CVT called Multidrive for models such as Avensis.

Audi has, since 2000, offered a chain-type CVT as an option on some of its larger-engine models, for example the A4 3.0 L V6.

BMW used a belt-drive CVT as an option for the low- and middle-range MINI in 2001, forsaking it only on the supercharged version of the car where the increased torque levels demanded a conventional automatic gearbox. The CVT could also be manually "shifted" if desired with software-simulated shift points.

Ford introduced a chain-driven CVT known as the CFT30 in their 2005 Ford Freestyle, Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego. The transmission was designed in cooperation with German automotive supplier ZF Friedrichshafen and was produced in Batavia, Ohio at Batavia Transmissions LLC (a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company) until March 22,

2007. The Batavia plant also produced the belt-driven CFT23 CVT which went in the Ford Focus C-MAX. Ford also sold Escort and Orion models in Europe with CVTs in the 1980s and 1990s.

Contract agreements were established in 2006 between MTD Products and Torotrak for the first full toroidal system to be manufactured for outdoor power equipment such as jet skis, ski-mobiles and ride-on mowers.[8]

The 2007 Dodge Caliber and the related Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot employ a CVT using a variable pulley system as their optional automatic transmission.[9]

The 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer model is available with CVT transmission as the automatic transmission. DE and ES models receive a standard CVT with Drive and Low gears; the GTS model is equipped with a standard Drive and also a Sportronic mode that allows the driver to use 6 different preset gear ratios (either with the shifter or steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters).

Subaru has again brought back CVT this time for its new 2010 Legacy. It will be mated to a 2.5l 4 cylinder boxer engine. ******

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Yes this is the first CVT in recent history. I have "new Model training on the 8th of July, I'll let you know what they say. Steve

I knew that. At one time. Totally forgot it!