JATCO Ltd, a manufacturer specializing in automatic transmissions (AT, CVT) (president: Shigeo Ishida, headquarters: Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture, capital: 29,935.3 million yen) hereby announces that it is supplying a newly-developed belt CVT (continuously variable transmission) for mini vehicles to Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., which is being mounted in the new model mini vehicle Stella announced and released by Fuji Heavy Industries today.

The mini vehicle CVT was developed through Fuji AT Ltd., JATCO's joint venture with Fuji Heavy Industries.

The development was carried out jointly by JATCO, Fuji Heavy Industries and Fuji AT, producing a world-class CVT combining outstanding technology nurtured by JATCO and Fuji Heavy Industries over the years.

The CVT is being produced at Fuji Heavy Industries’ Gunma Oizumi Plant (Oizumi-cho, Ora-gun, Gunma Prefecture) while JATCO is in charge of marketing.

The CVT combines reduced friction, reduced lock-up start speed, wide gear ratio and hydraulic pressure optimization when starting.  Furthermore, it is tuned to variable speed characteristics appropriate for the vehicle in which it is mounted and features the distinctive CVT smooth gear change feel without any shocks while also realizing improvements in acceleration characteristics and fuel efficiency.

This new addition has made it possible for the company to now offer a full line of CVTs over the entire spectrum from mini, small and midsize vehicles to large 3.5L-class vehicles.

We have already produced more than 55 million ATs and CVTs as one of the world’s leading manufacturers specializing in transmissions and continues to supply them to Nissan Motor Co.,Ltd. as well as other automakers both in Japan and abroad.  It has been the industry frontrunner in the CVT field and was the first in the world to realize commercial production of belt CVTs for 2L-class front-engine front-wheel drive vehicles in 1997 and 3.5L-class high-torque front-engine front-wheel drive vehicles in 2002.