The Count of Models Featuring a Manual Transmission Decreased by 57% Over a Decade | Carscoops

      By 2037, manual transmissions may completely vanish from the UK as car manufacturers increasingly transition to automatic and electric vehicles.

      The 30 most popular car brands in the UK have been moving away from manual transmissions. At the current pace of this shift, manuals might no longer be available in popular models by 2037. Volkswagen currently offers the highest number of manual models, including the Golf, Polo, and T-Cross.

      A recent study has revealed that manual transmissions are becoming increasingly scarce, showing a 57% decline in the number of vehicles equipped with them over the past decade.

      The research, which focused on the top 30 brands in the UK, found that 192 models had manual transmissions in 2015. However, this figure has consistently decreased: 109 models in 2023, followed by 89 (-25%) in 2024, and just 82 (-8%) this year.

      With this decline, it's not surprising that the number of brands that do not offer manual transmissions has increased. Mini and Land Rover made the shift to automatic-only models in 2025, joining the likes of Lexus, Mercedes, Tesla, and Volvo.

      CarGurus also noted that there are 196 models available solely with automatic transmissions from the top 30 manufacturers. They highlighted that "models available with a manual transmission account for just 29% of options from the country’s best-selling automakers."

      Last year, seven models eliminated the manual transmission option, and if this trend persists, the three-pedal gearbox could become obsolete by 2037. The shift to electric vehicles has not aided the manual transmission, although some manufacturers are looking for ways to preserve the option, at least in spirit.

      Amidst the decline, Volkswagen stands out as it still offers seven models with manual transmissions in the UK. It is followed by Citroen and Ford, each providing six models equipped with three pedals. Completing the top contenders are Dacia, Hyundai, Mazda, and Skoda, each featuring five manual models.

      Chris Knapman from CarGurus stated, “With a growing number of new cars being fully electric and the market's general shift towards larger and more premium vehicles, it is not surprising that we continue to see a decline in manual gearboxes since we last conducted this study a year ago. Increasingly, an automatic gearbox is seen not as a luxury that buyers must pay extra for, but rather as a standard feature.”