Does the 12th Generation Corolla CVT Have Gears?

[VonRuth]

12th Generation Corolla CVT has gears. The specific details are as follows: 1. Types of Gears: It belongs to low-speed gears. It also includes a driving pulley and a driven pulley. 2. Gear Reducer: It is a combination of a reduction motor and a large reduction gear. It does not require a coupling or adapter, making the structure compact. The disadvantages of the Corolla's CVT transmission are as follows: 1. High Cost: Compared to traditional automatic transmissions, the manufacturing cost of CVT transmissions is slightly higher, with less ideal reliability. If not operated properly, the probability of issues is higher. 2. High Maintenance Costs: Currently, whether domestically or overseas, CVT transmissions often cannot be repaired and can only be replaced as a whole, which directly leads to high maintenance costs.

[EmeryLynn]

I remember when I first drove the 12th-generation Corolla, I immediately noticed how responsive it was at low-speed starts, which is related to Toyota's addition of a gear to the CVT. Traditional CVTs rely on steel belt transmission, which can easily slip and respond slowly during starts. Toyota engineers addressed this by adding a dedicated starting gear in the transmission to handle low-speed conditions. When you press the accelerator from a standstill, power first goes through the gear before transferring to the steel belt, resulting in direct and crisp low-speed acceleration, much like an automatic transmission. Once the speed exceeds 40 km/h, the gear automatically disengages, switching to steel belt transmission. This design not only reduces wear but also improves fuel efficiency. After three years of driving, my city fuel consumption remains stable at around 6 liters per 100 km. The combination of gear and steel belt truly enhances the driving experience, making it harder for others to cut in during traffic jams.

[McLilliana]

Having driven numerous CVT-equipped models, the 12th-generation Corolla stands out as truly unique. Its CVT doesn't rely solely on a steel belt – there are actual gears assisting with propulsion at low speeds. The mechanism is quite ingenious: during initial acceleration, engine power first passes through a set of physical gears before reaching the wheels, then automatically switches to belt-driven transmission once speed increases. Compared to my cousin's car with a conventional CVT, the Corolla delivers noticeably stronger acceleration thrust, consistently pulling half a car length ahead at traffic lights. However, these gears only engage within specific speed ranges – beyond 40 km/h, it operates just like a traditional CVT. This design ensures robust low-end torque while maintaining smooth high-speed cruising.

[VanLondyn]

Last time when repairing the 12th-generation Corolla's transmission, we opened it up and inspected the internal structure. Its CVT indeed comes with a set of starting gears responsible for power transmission in the 0-40 km/h range. The biggest difference from a pure steel belt CVT is that the starting torque is more stable, and the steel belt is less prone to overheating and wear. During maintenance, we found that this gear engagement design significantly lowers the transmission oil temperature compared to older models. However, owners should avoid prolonged use of sport mode to forcefully rev the engine, as frequent rapid acceleration can prematurely age the gear shifting mechanism. Under normal usage, regular transmission fluid changes are sufficient.

[StKhloe]

After specifically consulting Toyota's technical manual, I confirmed that the 12th-generation Corolla's Direct Shift-CVT indeed incorporates a launch gear. This design essentially adds a physical transmission to the traditional CVT, specifically addressing the issue of low transmission efficiency at low speeds. During initial acceleration, the gears can directly engage to transfer power, avoiding energy loss from belt slippage. Through my own testing, I found that when starting a cold engine before the coolant reaches operating temperature, gear-driven transmission dominates for a longer duration. However, it's inaccurate to claim it operates solely via gears—it only engages under specific conditions. Additionally, compared to pure CVT models, this structure demands higher-quality transmission fluid. Using the wrong viscosity grade may cause gear shift hesitation.