Volkswagen could be planning to discontinue the manual transmission option on its vehicles by the year 2030. According to a media report, the German car manufacturer is also planning to sell nothing but electric vehicles in the European market. In the future, Volkswagen will be pushing for total electrification as soon as 2030. According to reports, electric vehicles do not have a manual stick-shift. Therefore, the brand could be planning to remove the manual gearbox from the ICE line-up as well. This will ready the customer of the future to adopt the electric powertrain.
Not Just VW But the Whole Volkswagen Group
Sources report that the next generation Tiguan SUV which will launch by 2030, will only come with an automatic gearbox. In addition to this, the updated Passat will also lose its manual transmission option. Furthermore, the whole Volkswagen Group will lose the manual gearbox option from their lineup. These brands include Skoda, Audi as well as SEAT.
Not the Only German Car Manufacturer
Volkswagen is not the only German car manufacturer to abandon manual gearbox. Mercedes-Benz is also planning to completely axe the manual transmission option on their cars. This will help Mercedes-Benz cut costs and streamline its engine line-up. However, the brand still sells the manual transmission option in the European market and there are more than a million examples on the roads. The move is also due to the trend shift seen towards electric vehicles.
Volkswagen Performance Cars With Manual Gearbox
In the European market, Volkswagen retails the Golf GTI and Golf R. Powering the hot hatch is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine that pumps 315 Hp of power and 400 Nm of torque. The engine comes with a 7-speed DSG automatic or a 6-speed manual gearbox and an advanced 4-motion four-wheel drivetrain with rear-axle torque vectoring and Drift mode.
Also Read: Mercedes-Benz could stop manufacturing manual gearboxes
