Nissan Won’t Give The Future Skyline The Transmission Enthusiasts Dread

A Sigh of Relief

For those worried about Nissan messing up the rebirth of the Skyline, they can breathe a sigh of relief. Company CEO Ivan Espinosa has ruled out any possibility of the sport sedan ever getting a CVT, as reported by Japanese automotive media outlet Motor-Fan. "We have no intention of putting a CVT in the Skyline. If we wanted to make a sporty, affordable car, we would make a Silvia, not a spicy Sentra. A truly affordable sports car," said Espinosa.

With that, it seems that Espinosa has also quashed any plans for a sportier Sentra. On the flip side, the company isn't giving up its dream of reviving the Silvia either. That's quite a number of statements in just two sentences.

A CVT Skyline Did Exist

While it almost seems unnecessary to say that, Nissan did dabble in putting a CVT in the Skyline in the past. The company, through transmission manufacturer Jatco, developed a CVT for high-output, rear-drive applications. It was first applied to the Nissan Cedric as an option for those who didn't want the four-speed automatic in the higher trims.

That same technology was later used in the V35 Skyline, better known as the Infiniti G35. Again, it was an option and, interestingly, was also offered for the coupe version. It's safe to say that buyers weren't receptive to it, as the majority stuck with the traditional automatic. Perhaps the recent announcement is Nissan's way of saying it won't make that move again.

Lessons Learned

More recently, it appears that Nissan is shying away from CVTs for its midsize vehicles. For instance, the Pathfinder now comes with a nine-speed automatic, and the same goes for its Murano. The only midsize model Nissan makes with the CVT is the Altima, but that could change if Nissan builds a new generation.

That said, CVTs will remain in Nissan's roster, but only for smaller vehicles. "CVTs are still effective even in small cars. They are a suitable transmission for small cars up to the C-segment. We have made significant improvements to this technology," said Espinosa. It's safe to say that anything larger than a Sentra (bar the Altima) will have a traditional transmission from this point onwards.

This bit of news bodes well for the future Skyline and new-generation Infiniti Q50. We can expect its drivetrain to be lifted straight from the Nissan Z. Best of all, a manual option has been confirmed as early as now. We do expect lower-powered versions of the car, as well as a hybrid (possibly an e-Power), but those are unlikely to go down the CVT route.

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