Wolfsburg’s stickshift is in decline
The time is ripe for us to ditch the manual gearbox as we move into the EV era. Automakers have already decided to get rid of the clutch pedal from their classic combustion-engined vehicles in order to make way for an all-electric model. According to a report by the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, Volkswagen appears to be abandoning the stick-shift.
VW is looking to cut costs after the expensive Dieselgate, and in anticipation of an expensive future with EVs, and one way to do this is by simplifying its drivetrain offerings. The DSG is being prioritized over manuals and the gradual elimination or the omission of the clutch pedal is expected to start in 2023.
The next-generation cars will still be powered by a gasoline/diesel engine, but the Tiguan compact crossover that is expected to arrive in 2023 will only have an automatic transmission. The same goes for the revised Passat, which is expected to be released in the same year. Rumours suggest that it will abandon the sedan body and go wagon-only.
Auto Motor und Sport believes that the manual transmission in a VW won’t be available by the end of the decade, when its lineup may be entirely EVs. Skoda and SEAT are the only comparable brands to VW Group. However, VW’s decision to go all-in with automatics will have an impact on the other VW Group brands, including Audi, SEAT, SEAT and Skoda. The VW Group has already pledged to launch EVs only starting in 2026.
The Passat is rumored to only be available in an auto version. This could only mean that the next-gen Skoda Suprab will also come in an auto version. Both share the underpinnings, and are expected to work together at the Slovakian plant in Bratislava. With VW confirming the availability of a ninth-gen Golf there is a good chance that the revamped Octavia or Leon will get rid of the clutch pedal in the next iterations.