Subaru Developing CVT: Fuel Efficient Transmission Motoring Channel Staff - 19/July/2007 | 
The Subaru B5-TPH concept car provides
a clues as to the 2009 Liberty/Legacy design,
which will be the first Subaru with a CVT
Subaru's new diesel boxer engine will
benefit from it's new CVT from 2009
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Gunma, Japan —
Subaru has green lit a new development project to build and equip its
range of vehicles with CVTs, otherwise known as continuously variable
transmissions. The Japanese press is reporting that the new
transmission will also be coupled with the company's new 2.0-litre
diesel boxer engine - the first of it's kind in the world - which will
make for a highly efficient package. The CVT technology offers higher levels
of fuel efficiency than any other type of transmission and will help
Subaru's petrol and diesel vehicles achieve improved mileage and also to lower their emissions. The
first model to be available with the new CVT will be the 2009
Liberty/Legacy, and Subaru will add the new gearbox type to the rest of
its export range thereafter, including the Impreza. Diesel:
The new 2.0-litre diesel engine in development at Subaru will spearhead
the Japanese marque's European push, which is also highlighted in
the design of the new Subaru Impreza. Hiroyuki
Ikeda, who runs the European arm of the company, said the new diesel
will offer "...superb rotational balance...". He explained that the
"...horizontally-opposed engine allows low
vibration because the pistons counteract each other to cancel
it out." "Moreover,
with its firmly supported crankshaft, the crankcase construction is
strong enough to resist huge combustion pressure. The horizontally
opposed engine’s character is proving an excellent match for a
diesel engine. Also, the adoption of a thin journal for the crankshaft
and turbocharger placed under the cylinder block enhances all the
advantages of the boxer engine, which are low centre of gravity, low
vibration, high rigidity and compactness," said Ikeda. The pairing of Subaru's new CVT with its diesel engine, which is likely to generate 340Nm of torque, will be a milestone event for the marque, and is expected to occur later in 2009 once the CVT has been deployed. Related
articles:
- Subaru WRX STI Aero Kit (2008)
- Subaru Liberty GT Spec.B - Tuned by STI (2008)
- Subaru Impreza WRX sedan (2008)
- Subaru Tribeca (2008)
- Subaru
Impreza WRX (Road
Test)
- Subaru
Forester XT (Road Test)
- Subaru WRX - Tuned by STI (2007)
- Subaru Develops Diesel Boxer Engine (2007)
- Subaru
Liberty Blitzen (2006)
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