Volkswagen will be completely abandoning the manual transmission at the end of this year. VW presently offers just one model with a clutch, the Jetta GLI. But the plan is to scrub the manual option on the sport sedan and run exclusively with the DSG.
Some will bemoan this as a heinous crime against automobiles. But it makes a fair amount of financial sense for Volkswagen. Simplifying production will help the automaker save overhead and sticking with the “direct-shift gearbox” should make it easier to comply with European emissions regulations while still retaining a decent portion of the customer base.
Noticing that next year’s order guide for dealers lacked manual options for the Jetta GLI, TFL Car looks to be the first outlet to have caught wind of the change. Since then, everyone else has been asking VW to verify the situation and the company has done so — with spokespeople expressing what looks to be some genuine regret.
However, that won’t change the fact that Volkswagen will officially be done with the manual after 2026.
While the Jetta GLI doesn’t have the same community as the brand’s performance hatchbacks, some tuners may appreciate the change. The DSG isn’t known for being ultra robust. However, manual transmissions equipped to the modification-prone Golf R and GTI siblings weren’t famous for having a clutch that cooperated with power adders. Simple tunes were often easier to accomplish with the DSG. A few model years even have the manual variant making less torque than the dual clutch, which also shifts faster than your human limbs could possibly manage.
But the core issue is the fact that VW buyers tended to prefer the DSG in general, which is the same rationale as to why be-clutched versions of the GTI and Golf R were done away with. The automaker stated that it had every intention of keeping the manual for North America but that demand for it had simply dropped too low.
Still, we’ve seen sales of the aforementioned hatchbacks decline since they abandoned manual gearboxes in 2025. While we cannot say how much of this is the fault of economic conditions, better competition, or VW absolutely spoiling interiors by leaning too far into touch controls, sales of GTI have declined by nearly 35 percent since the relevant refresh.
Considering the Golf R also lost about 20 percent of its volume over the same timeframe, the GLI sedan may be on a similar trajectory next year. But the brand made its decision based on financial concerns that presumably cannot be offset by there being a few thousand additional customers.
As a potential bonus, Volkswagen can save on production costs by simplifying variants. Ideally, it can then pass these savings onto the customer or put some of that money back into the vehicles by adding things drivers want. More buttons would be a good starting point.
But the GLI already represents a decent value proposition for anyone who wants an unassuming daily runabout that’s likewise rewarding to drive. Even keeping the price at its current place ($35,000 with the DSG) would represent a minor victory after last year's price bump.
If you already liked the GLI's 7-speed DSG and 228-horsepower inline four, then none of the above is likely to matter. However, if you were one of the drivers who would have optioned a manual VW sport compact, this will probably be your last chance to purchase one outside of the used market.
[Images: Volkswagen]
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via Autobuzz Today
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