The manual mode on a CVT seems to me to kind of miss the point. I drove the '15 WRX with the CVT (dealer didn't have a manual at the time) and I found it easier just to let it shift for itself. I'm not a big fan of automatics or paddle shifters anyway, so I am biased. The wife is waiting on delivery of a new car with an 8spd auto and paddle shifters, so maybe I'll get to like them after some familiarity.
I drove a Sentra rental with a CVT and that really suited the car. As long as I was anticipating traffic and my throttle inputs were smooth, it just got on with it. Not sporting at all, but smooth and adequate performance for what it is.
I understand the technical advantages of a CVT and manually selecting from a preset set of ratios seems like a waste of capability in the name of "sporty". How about a rotary knob to manually dial up the ratio you want? Make the actuators powerful enough to adjust the pulley sheaves (or whatever technology it uses) from max to min as fast as a DSG can shift so you don't notice any delay as you rotate the knob. Your steering, throttle and brakes are analog. Why not your transmission?
Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive looks like it could form the basis for a sporting hybrid, if that isn't too much of an oxymoron for you. Conceptually, you can think of it as a planetary gearset, with the IC engine permanently connected to the planetary carrier, the electric motor attached to the sun wheel and final drive taken off the ring gear. The gear ratio between the IC engine and the wheels is controlled by how fast you spin the electric motor, and vice versa. Given how quickly an electric motor can spin up, or down, there is potential for very fast "shifts". Prius LFA?