New transmission option for Subaru Justy this year

Press, 26 February 1987, Page 34

New transmission option for Subaru Justy this year

Fuji Heavy Industries will introduce electronically controlled continuously variable transmission as an option on the Subaru Justy later this year.

Fuji was expected to introduce ECVT much sooner, but the Japanese company has apparently been handicapped by the inability of Holland’s van Doorne Transmissie to supply its patented continuously variable transmission belts in sufficient volume.

In the first instance, the ECVT Justy will be sold only in Japan and at the rate of 500 a month.

The continuously variable transmission system comprises a combination of two complementarily variable diameter pulleys over which is threaded a belt comprising a string of metal blocks.

This type of belt is said to provide far greater reliability than the original rubber belts employed in the old Daf continuously variable transmission system.

Fuji will guarantee the metallic belts for five

years or 80,000 kilometres and claims that in the course of a 4 million kilometre test programme, involving prototype care, no problems were encountered.

The transmission is mated to the engine by an electronically controlled electromagnetic clutch which has been developed by Mitsubishi Electric.

This clutch is said to be more reliable than the centrifugal clutch originally used in the Daf system. It also is more compact and simpler than the twin multi-plate hydraulically actuated clutch which would be the only viable alternative today. Control layout for the ECVT Justy is to all intents and purposes just the conventional automatic transmission arrangement.

There are accelerator and brake pedals and an automatic transmission selector lever with “park,” "reverse," “neutral” and “drive” positions, as well as a “Ds” position for “drive sport.” “Ds” holds a higher gear

ratio for sportier driving and to provide engine braking when descending hills.

However, the Subaru Justy will be just one of three small saloons to be offered with continuously variable transmission this year. The Ford Fiesta and the Fiat Uno will also get it as an option. The Ford/Fiat system Is claimed to have a higher torque capacity than Fuji’s system, but it is notable that so far CVT is being fitted to lowerpowered care with engine capacities around 1000 cu cm only. Initially Ford and Fiat will have CVT in low volume options only, but Ford has invested the equivalent of about $2O million in its transmission plant in Bordeaux to produce for Ford, Flat and other manufacturers who are expected to take up the system.

On Fords the system will be described as CTX, the initials being those derived from “Continuously variable TransaXle.”