As one of the three major parts of the car, the vast majority of consumers will look at the gearbox in addition to considering the engine when buying a car. Looking at the current major car series, three laws have been summarized: German and domestic cars like double clutch, American cars like AT, and Japanese cars have a special love for CVT gearboxes.
The former German and domestic cars like to use dual-clutch transmission can be understood, after all, most of the current patented technology of the AT transmission has been monopolized by ZF and Aisin two gearbox companies, without authorization and technology, can not use the AT transmission, can only retreat to choose a simpler structure, less patents dual-clutch transmission.
Many Japanese car companies have the ability to manufacture AT transmissions, not to mention Aisin is a subsidiary of Toyota, even Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi, Subaru and other companies, can independently manufacture AT transmissions, such as Honda 10AT, Nissan 7AT and Mitsubishi once praised the 4AT gearbox, so Japanese car companies in the field of AT transmission can definitely rank in the forefront of the world, but despite this, but have to face a fact, that is, more and more Japanese cars today have a special love for CVT transmissions. For example, the Japanese Three Musketeer Accord, Camry, and Tianlai all use CVT gearboxes.
This makes many people ask a question: why do Japanese cars obviously have stable and reliable AT but do not use it, and they do not have a fondness for CVT gearboxes? In this issue, let's analyze it.
Reason 1: CVT has lower fuel consumption levels
Japanese car companies like to use CVT gearbox, in fact, it is also a helpless move, not to mention the EU standards, even if our country, now also implement the "double integral" policy, the implementation of more stringent environmental protection standards for car companies, on the one hand, in order to protect the environment, improve emission standards, on the other hand is to promote energy conservation and emission reduction, reduce the fuel consumption of cars, and promote the development of new energy vehicles.
Japanese cars have always given people the impression of low fuel consumption, and this impression did not appear in Toyota's 4AT era, but in Nissan's CVT era, as Xuanyi began to use CVT, this low fuel consumption performance began to be talked about by car owners. Although the CVT is not as fuel-efficient as the 10AT and 9AT gearboxes, it is superior to the 4AT and 6AT gearboxes.
This is because the CVT gearbox in the driving process, can always choose the best transmission ratio, so that the engine runs in the most fuel-efficient range, unlike the AT gearbox transmission transmission is fixed several gears, unless the gears are more than 10AT, 9AT gearbox, otherwise the fuel saving effect is absolutely better than CVT.
Reason two: low manufacturing costs
In recent years, the competition in the automobile market can be said to have entered a "white-hot" degree, not only the rise of independent brands has brought an impact on joint venture brands, but also the development of new energy vehicles has also doubled the pressure on traditional car companies. So they have "rolled up", the major car companies must be careful when launching new models, not only the configuration can not be low, but also try to compress the cost, reduce the price to maximize the attraction of consumers.
The use of CVT gearbox is the most in line with the above concept, compared to the AT gearbox, CVT gearbox structure is simple, because it does not have atat gearbox as built-in many complex planetary gears, parts are much less, so that its manufacturing costs are reduced, conducive to large-scale production, but also reduce the body mass, but also increase the fuel saving effect.
Reason three: CVT gearbox is more suitable for family cars
The above are the advantages of the CVT gearbox, but each gearbox has its own advantages and disadvantages, and the disadvantage of the CVT gearbox is that due to the use of steel belts in the gearbox for transmission, the maximum force is limited, so the maximum torque of the CVT gearbox is small and not suitable for intense driving.
But are these drawbacks really important for family cars? Nowadays, the general family cars are mainly small displacement scooters, the mainstream displacement is within 1.6L, the engine horsepower will not be too large, and the family car is not used as a "racing, off-road vehicle", and the usual driving can not be driven fiercely due to the speed limit and other regulations, so compared to the CVT gearbox smooth, cheap, fuel-saving these advantages, its disadvantages are naturally not worth mentioning.
Of course, this statement is only based on ordinary family cars, for some off-road vehicles or sports cars, it is natural that the CVT gearbox will not be used.
summary:
In general, Japanese car companies now have a fondness for CVT gearbox, not that it chose CVT, but the market chose CVT, in the face of today's fierce competition in the car market, even luxury brands have reduced prices, the way out of ordinary brands in addition to increasing the configuration can only reduce the price of sales, compared to 6AT, CVT cost is lower, fuel consumption performance is lower, emission standards are better, naturally also loved by Japanese car companies.
So for you, is the model you are driving now equipped with a CVT gearbox? Is there anything you would like to say about the CVT gearbox? Feel free to share your opinion in the comments section.