It's a glorified mechanical torque converter. Even the link (from your beloved Car and Driver) says so.
"most CVT systems work through a pulley system. In short, this system consists of cones at each pulley connected via a chain belt."
"One pulley in the CVT is connected to the engine and the other directs power to the wheels. The width of these pulleys changes based on the needed power; as one gets larger, the other gets smaller. This allows a CVT to deliver strong and seamless acceleration"
its still a transmission.