A compact vehicle having a body frame that contains an automatic transmission. The operating system of the vehicle has either an engine with a crankshaft that is transverse to the axis of movement of the vehicle or is parallel to the axis of movement of the vehicle. Additionally, the crankshaft is an input shaft to a split power transmission and actuates an output shaft to drive the axle and wheels of the vehicle. The split-power transmission uses a power summing device in combination with a plurality of clutches and variable power units in order to provide a shift between a first operating mode and a second operating mode.