Since we've already tested a manual-transmission 1.8 Tino, this report will be quite short. The two-litre CVT model is the same in layout and equipment - ABS, EBD, brake assist and all - but it's not just the engine and transmission which are different. Nissan has wisely altered the prices too.Even the Nissan fellow who came to collect the test car said it was too expensive, but that's changed. As of January 1, prices of all versions of the Tino are reduced, by between £1000 and £1300.Driving our second Tino confirmed that this is a very practical compact MPV, with good seating and masses of ingenious storage spaces, hooks, holders, pockets, nets and baskets. And it's well-balanced on the road.Nissan has taken an unusual route with the Tino specification. The CVT transmission isn't an extra-cost option. It's standard with the two-litre engine, and you can't get that engine with a manual box. Like the other models, the two-litre is built in Barcelona, but its engine is shipped across from Sunderland, and the transmission is sent from Japan.With more experience of continuously variable transmissions than most of its rivals (its first CVT model was a Micra in 1992, and it now offers more robust versions of the system in three-litre saloons in Japan) Nissan has provided a very smoothly operating system for the Tino.It has a single "low" hold which will take the car to 60mph and beyond - although there's no real point in doing that - as well as, more importantly, providing sufficient engine braking for steep descents. But there's also a Sport mode, although as with most CVT cars the normal way of driving, for the average owner, will be to leave the transmission alone to do its own thing. It does that just fine.A transmission of this kind is less of a drag than a conventional automatic, and the two-litre Tino just has the edge in performance, even in the 0-62mph sprint, over the manual 1.8. But you can't get away from the fact that economy suffers. On the combined cycle, the two-litre is almost 6mpg heavier on fuel than the 1.8.Like the other variants, the two-litre has an extensive list of extra-cost options. The test car was fairly standard, but that didn't stop us appreciating one note accompanying the list of accessories: "Birdview satellite navigation is not available in combination with Mud Pack."Second opinion: Nothing about this car changes my opinion that the Tino is a much better bet than the hatchback Almera. The CVT system is as good as you will find anywhere, and I was not at all disappointed that, although it is the same unit as is fitted to the equivalent Primera, it does without that car's mock-sequential six-speed facility. A splendid machine, and certainly one of the best of the generally high-quality mini-MPVs available these days. David Finlay. Engine 1998cc, 4 cylinders Power 133bhp Transmission CVT automatic Fuel 30.4mpg Acceleration 0-62mph: 12.6 seconds Top speed 112mph Price £16,100 Details correct at publication date
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