Ford May Reintroduce CVTs

Ford Fiesta

Ford Motor Co. tells reporters it is revisiting the idea of using continuously variable transmissions in low-torque applications.

The company hasn't offered CVTs in non-hybrid models in seven years, largely because its prior experience "wasn't all good," notes global product leader Raj Nair.

Automotive News opines that a CVT would be a good fit for Ford's 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder engine, which lacks an automatic transmission. The tiny powerplant is offered in the Fiesta minicar in the U.S., a market where manual transmissions account for only about 5% of all vehicle sales.

Ford makes CVTs for its hybrid powertrains at a plant in Sterling Heights, Mich. Nair didn't say whether, if Ford decides to broaden its use of CVTs, it would make them itself or buy them from a supplier.