Tag Archives: manual
2019 Audi A4 and A5 Lose Manual Transmission
Audi has confirmed that its A4 and A5 will drop the manual transmission option for the 2019 model year. The company cited low sales as the reason for killing the stick-shift option.
Since it debuted in 2017, the A4 had a six-speed manual transmission but Audi has experienced a slump in sales and customer satisfaction rating that even its A5 coupe lost the manual gearbox. This means that Audi’s lineup would be completely manual-free in the United States.
Only a handful of Americans, about 5 percent, chose the A4’s manual transmission over its seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission. This is enough reason for the company to pull out the manual option from the sedan, of course. Car experts are certainly disappointed because the manual transmission made the cars more powerful and it provided an increased level of performance.
During a test, a manual A4 can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds, a tenth of a second quicker than an A4 that runs on a dual-clutch automatic transmission.
It did make sense for Audi to finally pull out all the manual transmission options from its lineup as it moves toward a more “electrified” future. The shift to electric cars by virtually every carmaker in the world is another consideration that must have come into play in Audi’s decision.
If you still want a manual Audi, you can go to dealerships nationwide as some of the 2018 models are still available. Provided that the six-speed manual transmission was only offered with Quattro all-wheel drive and the standard 252-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo four, owning one of these last remaining manual cars is still cool.
The 2019 model year should be available in dealerships later this year for $36,975, so go get your hands on those manual cars while you still can.
2019 Hyundai Genesis G70 Will Come With Manual Transmission Option
The upcoming 2019 Hyundai Genesis G70 compact sports sedan will come with a manual transmission option, a representative for the South Korean automaker said. Genesis is Hyundai’s standalone luxury brand.
This manual transmission option has just placed the G70 in a segment that has increasingly become lacking of options that would allow you to “row your own” vehicle. Kevin Smith, Genesis’ spokesman, said in a report by The Car Connection that the 6-speed manual gearbox will be paired with the G70’s standard 2.0-liter turbo-4. There are no details though on the pricing of these different trim levels.
It is further revealed that the G70’s manual option is only for purists, which means those who can handle the turbo-4 and a rear-wheel drive. On the other hand, the more powerful 3.3-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine will be exclusive with the 8-speed automatic that will be optional with the turbo-4.
It’s in the fuel economy that will suffer, apparently. The rear-wheel-drive G70 will be powered by the 2.0-liter inline-4 with manual transmission. That has an EPA rating of 18 mpg city, 28 highway, and 22 combined. Compare that to the 22/30/25 mpg for the G70 with an automatic transmission, the turbo-4, and rear-wheel drive, and the manual option surely did a take a lot of hit.
The rest of the lineup will have these ratings: 21/28/23 mpg for the turbo-4, the 8-speed automatic, and the all-wheel drive, 18/26/21 mpg for the optional V-6, and 18/25/20 mpg for the V-6 and all-wheel drive.
The G70 will probably make its debut this early 2018 as a 2019 model, so that should come anytime soon. As for the prices, though there is no official word yet, it will probably be in the $30,000 bracket.
Aside from the Hyundai Genesis G70, other luxury models from other brands offering manual transmission are the Cadillac ATS, Audi A4, and BMW 3-Series.
Porsche RS Models Will Not Get Manual Transmission
The Porsche RS models will not be getting a manual transmission. A company executive revealed they decided to go on that direction because the demand for it might not be high enough to justify its production.
“RS means Renn Sport, which means it has to be quick on the track, that it’s all about fast times on the track, and that means the PDK,” Andreas Preuinger, Porsche’s head of Motorsport Division, told CarAdvice during an interview.
“The PDK has advantages on the track that can’t be beaten by a manual, and the ones who prefer the manual transmission are not typically the track rats as we call them, but they are those who like to enjoy their cars on the normal public roads. I would say a GT2 RS with a manual option would have a four or five percent share of the market, we couldn’t justify that,” he explained.
Preuinger ensured that the manual stick-shift will remain as an offering in their GT models. He stated that they had success in their manual transmission cars. He estimated that putting it in the RS might yield a 30 percent share. However, they also projected that the demand might diminish and the figures might vary in different markets.
The decision of Porsche to ditch the manual in favor of the dual-clutch PDK for their RS models may not sit well to purists but Preuinger definitely had a point, especially on the “demand” factor. After all, they are running a business and numbers really do matter.
To the company’s credit though, they tried this formula before in their 911 GT3 RS to satisfy a segment of its market who were yearning for a manual shift stick. Unfortunately, it will not be the case this time.