The last CVT I spent much time driving was the 1.2L, 3-cylinder Mirage pictured above.
I was genuinely impressed by how much it was programmed to pursue fuel economy: It tries its little heart out to keep
cruising revs as low as possible (see chart).
I remembered being pleasantly surprised that...
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On level roads with a light foot, you can drive around all day at sub/urban speeds under 1500 RPM, including during light acceleration.
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That has me wondering: do CVT's programmed for such low RPM, fuel-saving operation offer fewer chances for zero fuel burn (DFCO) when releasing the throttle and coasting in gear? Seems possible you might only get a brief fuel cut before injection resumed to keep the engine running.
Other types of transmissions would have the engine at a higher RPM for a given road speed at the start of coasting. So, more time in fuel cut-off mode.
If that's the case, a CVT hypermiler might benefit from more neutral coasting.
Splitting hairs? Probably! These are the things that keep me awake at night.