It looks like the last hour has come for the manual transmission at Volkswagen. Since VW is basically on the road to electro-mobility and is saying goodbye to the combustion engine, it is also inadvertently saying goodbye to the manual transmission.
As we know, EV’s usually have a single-speed transmission and in most instances drive like automatic cars. In view of the steadily shrinking market share of cars with manual transmissions in total sales, it is simply no longer worth spending money on further development and optimization of the out-of-fashion technology.
Manual transmissions are currently found mainly across VW Group Brand’s (Skoda, Audi, Seat) entry-level cars or in the sports versions of cars like the Volkswagen GTi. But the shift towards automatic transmissions was inevitable, and this radical change has taken decades. After their emergence in the thirties and forties, automatic transmissions were mainly reserved for vehicles of the automotive upper class or were simply an expensive optional extra.
The market share of automatic transmissions has already grown in recent years. Over the years, however, they have become increasingly affordable, reliable, economical, and have also been able to establish themselves in lower segments. This is mainly due to the switch from classic torque converter automatics to direct-shift transmissions. Modern versions now have up to ten speeds. On the other hand, numerous assistance systems like radar-based cruise control, and autonomous driving, are features that are simply not possible with manual transmissions.
The first two models from VW without a clutch pedal will be the upcoming Passat and Tiguan starting in 2023. The successor to the Tiguan will no longer be available with a manual transmission. However, In the compact and small car segment, the farewell to the manual transmission will take a little longer. Manual transmissions will also be gradually phased out in the other model series as part of the model changeover.
Even though not many automakers have officially said goodbye to the manual transmission yet, it will die out in the coming decades anyway due to the transition towards electric cars, and this is no different for the German automaker, Volkswagen. It will save VW the cost of further developing traditional transmission technology and is said to have taken this drastic step primarily for financial reasons. It really does mark the end of an era for some great cars with a stick shifter throughout VW’s glorious past.
Here is CNBC giving us an insight into cars that feature a manual transmission