• Fiat is working a bigger and heavier version of
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its recentlyintroduced continuouslyvariable automatic transmission (CVT) with the unit's developer, Van Doome.
The current CVT, shared with Ford, is being made in small numbers and is suitable only for vehicles with engines up to 1.6 litres. Those two limitations have so far precluded the use of the CVT on commercial vehicles, but both Fiat and Ford have plans to offer the unit on their carderived vans.
Work is proceeding on a CVT which will take the torque of petrol engines up to two litres, which should also make it strong enough for 1.6-litre diesel engines. According to Fiat engineers, the most important change is in the width of the multi-element steel drive-belt, up from 24min to 30mm.
Fiat has also confirmed that it is looking at electronic control of the CVT, and that the electronic controls will give the driver a much closer control over the transmission.