Nissan CVT Transmission: Which Cars Have It?

Nissan has a pretty full lineup of vehicles, including sporty coupes, pickup trucks, and a sedan or SUV in just about every size or configuration you can imagine. And many of those vehicles use CVTs (continuously variable transmissions) to put power down. Unfortunately, CVTs often get a bad rap for their low levels of engagement. They can increase fuel economy compared to standard automatics, which is one of the top reasons automakers use them, but some buyers dislike them and may want to avoid CVTs entirely. So let’s comb through Nissan’s lineup to see which vehicles do (and don’t) have CVTs. A quick note: you may see the name Xtronic on Nissan vehicles, but don’t get tripped up — that’s just the name the company uses for its CVT. 

Advertisement

In most trims, the sub-compact Nissan Versa pairs a CVT with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, while its bigger brother, the Sentra, uses a CVT in combination with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The Kicks, a small SUV from Nissan, also uses a CVT with that same 2.0-liter engine, which proved to be relatively uninspiring when we tested it earlier this year. The Kicks Play is the previous-generation Kicks re-branded and sold under a new name as its entry-level SUV, and it also uses a CVT. Nissan’s compact SUV, the Rogue, pairs an Xtronic CVT with a turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine. The Altima sedan also uses an Xtronic CVT. To recap, here are the 2025 Nissan vehicles that use CVTs: Kicks Play, Kicks, Rogue, Versa, Sentra, and Altima.

Advertisement

Nissan has quite a few CVT models, but the automaker hasn’t gone all-in on the technology just yet. Plenty of its vehicles, especially ones aimed at enthusiasts or intended as workhorses, use traditional automatic or manual transmissions. So, just to balance things out, let’s talk about the non-CVT vehicles you can get with a Nissan badge. The newest Nissan Z, for example, lets you pick between a six-speed manual or a nine-speed automatic transmission. While most trims of the Versa come with a CVT, the base S trim comes with a five-speed manual transmission. In that configuration, the Versa becomes one of the least expensive new vehicles you can buy in 2025.

Advertisement

The 2025 Pathfinder is powered by Nissan’s 3.5-liter VQ V6 engine, which is paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The large Nissan Armada SUV uses a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Murano SUV also uses a nine-speed automatic transmission, but it’s paired with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. Nissan’s Frontier pickup opts for a 3.8-liter V6, also mated to a nine-speed automatic. It’s also worth noting that EVs don’t use CVTs. So, the Nissan Ariya uses a single-speed transmission (also known as direct drive) to go with its electric motor, while the Leaf uses a single-speed gear reducer.