Automatic Transmission CVT - Mechanism & Function: General Description

The vehicle with the Lineartronic™ combines a torque converter with lockup and a continuously variable automatic transmission system with chain and pulleys, which offers a wider ratio coverage than conventional automatic transmission and thus improves the drivability and fuel economy. The use of the lockup type torque converter contributes to the comfort in vehicle start due to addition of a creep phenomenon and the fuel economy improvement due to expansion of the lockup range.

• For the forward/reverse changeover, single pinion planetary gears and a hydraulic multiple-disc clutch are combined. Besides, the Lineartronic™ locates the forward/reverse changeover mechanism after the secondary pulley, which is located before the primary pulley in a typical CVT.
• The oil pump secures a sufficient flow rate by using a separate shaft that rotates at a higher rotation speed than the engine shaft by means of a sprocket&chain mechanism.
• For the AWD system, an active torque split AWD is adopted.
• The following environment support technologies are adopted to achieve a top-in-the-class fuel economy.

1. Optimization of chain clamping force:

   This reduces any excessive pulley pressure and thus restricts the resultant chain friction and oil pump loss, by precisely controlling the clamping force against the input torque, which leads to improved transmission efficiency.

2. Low speed lockup control:

   This significantly expands the full lockup range of the torque converter, for which conventional automatic transmission required a 40 km/h minimum vehicle speed, and prevents any torque converter loss, contributing to fuel economy improvement in a wider vehicle speed range.