Salam All
after going through differnt posts in forums I have noticed one thing that some people are not very familiar with CVT (continous variable transmission also known as IVT infinitly variable transmission), which is available in City. You would often find people saying that City has bad pick or it lacks power but as a matter of fact it is just a misconception, which i will try to clear here.
I have googled about CVT and found a very comprehensive and really interesting info about CVT on wikipedia at following link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuously_variable_transmission
But for those who don't wana go in details I have copied a portion from the web site which may help understanding CVT, so here it is:
Initially CVT was not applicable to engines bigger than 1.2 but now it can be used in all engines.
Advantages and drawbacks
Compared to hydraulic automatic transmissions:
- CVTs can smoothly compensate for changing vehicle speeds, allowing the engine speed to remain at its level of peak efficiency. They may also avoid torque converter losses. This improves both fuel economy and exhaust emissions. However, some units (eg. Jetco Extroid) also employ a torque converter. Fuel efficiency advantages as high as 20% over 4 speed automatics can be obtained.
-CVTs have much smoother operation. This can give a perception of low power, because many drivers expect a jerk when they begin to move the vehicle. The satisfying jerk of a non-CVT transmission can be emulated by CVT control software though, eliminating this marketing problem.
-Since the CVT keeps the engine turning at constant RPMs over a wide range of vehicle speeds, pressing on the accelerator pedal will make the car move faster but doesn't change the sound coming from the engine as much as a conventional automatic transmission gear-shift. This confuses some drivers and again, leads to a mistaken impression of a lack of power.
-CVTs are simpler to build and repair.
-CVT torque handling capability is limited by the strength of their belt or chain, and by their ability to withstand friction wear between torque source and transmission medium for friction-driven CVTs. CVTs in production prior to 2005 are predominantly belt or chain driven and therefore typically limited to low powered cars and other light duty applications. More advanced IVT units using advanced lubricants, however, have been proven to support any amount of torque in production vehicles, including that used for buses, heavy trucks, and earth moving equipment.
Regards
