I need help in understand the modes on the CVT.

They are as follows: AUTO, SD, MANUAL

Auto: No questions

Manual: Switching from auto to manual, you go into SD then shift normally.
When you shift down and go in to low, 1st shows on the display. Yet when you shift for the first time to the manual mode, SD is what shows.

Is this just an indicator that you are now in the "manual" mode???? Or are there 3 modes instead of two?

The transmission works great in manual as there is no way that you can "lug" the transmiission. It will not let you change until you have enough speed or rpm to do so.

Thanks for help in solving this question.

 

There are 3 modes.

D = "drive"shifting about 2500 rpm under normal driving.
SD= "sports drive" shifts about 4000 rpm under "normal" driving - (SD is not used for "normal") it's good for going up steep hills.
1-6 = manual

If you push the pedal to the floor it'll go all the way to redline in any mode.

It won't go over 4000 rpm in "D" unless you press the pedal past the "click".

 

I don't use SD to go up hills, I use it when I want to accelerate more quickly than normal. If I floor the pedal (past the click) in D mode, is that the same as having the car in SD mode then?

 

Pushing past the click is not the same as SD mode. That takes you past 4000 rpm.

SD mode will just keep the ransmission from upshifting until you get to about 4k rpm vice the ~2500-2700 rpm normal shifting (with normal gas pedal pressure).