2013 Altima with the RE0F10E

For the next-generation Xtronic CVT, Nissan^® began combining the innovative structure of the conventional CVT chain belt operation with an auxiliary gearbox (two-step gear change). With the release of the next-generation Xtronic CVT, Nissan was able to realize a transmission ratio of 7.3:1, which is even broader than most 7-speed automatic transmissions. These CVTs were designed to achieve light-weight compactness and to help improve fuel efficiency.

2013-14 Pathfinder

The Xtronic CVT with auxiliary transmission adds to the transmission function by utilizing the pulley and belt. By adopting an auxiliary two-speed transmission, the transmission range has been expanded while keeping the pulleys’ size small.

Increasing transmission ratio in a conventional CVT requires larger pulleys, but the layout constraints of compact cars make this very difficult. The next-generation CVT achieved a higher transmission ratio by adopting an auxiliary two-speed transmission. The use of a sub-planetary gear to switch between low and high ranges allowed smaller pulleys to reach higher transmission ratios. The two-step gear change with the auxiliary transmission helped enable a balance and responsiveness on start-ups and at low-speed acceleration while allowing lower engine RPM at high speeds, helping to improve noise reduction.

Combining the belt CVT and the auxiliary gearbox, along with the use of a super-flat torque converter, allowed the overall length of the CVT structure to be shortened by 10% while reducing the weight by 13% compared to a conventional CVT. Reduction in pulley size and lower oil agitation resistance also helped cut friction by 30% compared to CVTs of the same class. Furthermore, the reduction in size and weight allowed applicability to a wider range of vehicles including mini-vehicles and small-sized vehicles.

Other improvements including the use of a low-rigidity lock-up damper and a high-efficiency oil pump helped improve fuel efficiency.