Car buyers are slowly gravitating away from manual transmissions, which is unsurprisingly what's leading to its demise. Let's be honest, for most people, driving is a chore, and it's only for us car enthusiasts that driving is seen as a hobby and not just a means of going from point A to point B, so the convenience of a car with an automatic transmission is what most would rather have.

Emissions regulations are also making it harder for an automaker to produce manual cars, believe it or not. A computer-controlled automatic transmission, especially during lab tests, will do a much better job at selecting the right gear for the most optimal fuel consumption and thus, provide the least emissions. As you'll see later in the article, there are a few manual-equipped sports cars and enthusiast cars that have been a casualty of stricter emissions.

Volkswagen has been one of those automakers that have consistently offered a manual enthusiast car in the United States with the Golf GTI, Golf R, and Jetta GLI. Still, as time progresses, a combination of shifting consumer demands, and ever-stricter emissions regulations, have meant that the feasibility of offering a manual has become increasingly difficult. Because of these factors, Volkswagen of America will only offer a single manual-equipped car for the 2025 model year.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including Volkswagen Motor1, CarBuzz, and EurActiv.

The Manual Is About To Hit Extinction At Volkswagen

For the upcoming 2025 model year range, there's only going to be one Volkswagen with a manual transmission, down from the three it offered a model year prior. Care to guess what vehicle has said goodbye to the manual transmission? Clue: It's a pair of iconic hot hatches.

The Jetta GLI Is Your Only Manual Option

If you want a manual-equipped Volkswagen, your only choice will be the Jetta GLI. That's because the Golf GTI and Golf R will ditch the manual altogether after the 2024 model year. At the moment, you can still get a manual-equipped Golf GTI and Golf R, provided that there are still dealer stocks of these hot hatches, but once the inventory's emptied, your only hope for a manual Volkswagen hot hatch is through the used car market. At this point, you might be asking about the standard Jetta, which also has a manual. Well, that's gone, too, for the 2025 model year. The only way you could get a manual Volkswagen is with the Jetta GLI.

Manuals Are Solely A Niche These Days

In hindsight, there's no practical benefit to offering a manual car these days. It's only us enthusiasts who seek the engagement of a manual, and we only represent a small percentage of the car-buying population. Automatics used to be inferior to manuals, especially when these transmissions first came out more than 50 years ago, but as with every piece of technology, there were significant improvements over time.

We have come to a point where automatics exceed the performance of manuals today, resulting in faster acceleration, lower emissions, and better fuel efficiency. Finally, there's also the convenience that you don't have to think about gears on an automatic too much, which, for most non-enthusiast buyers, is what matters the most, especially if all you want is to go from A to B.

Let's Explore The Jetta GLI

Facelifted for the 2025 model year, the Volkswagen Jetta range receives a revised look that gives it a handsome face, more tech, and better value across the board. As mentioned, there's no more manual-equipped standard Jetta this time around, as you can only get it on the Jetta GLI. With the demise of the manual-equipped Golf GTI and Golf R, the Jetta GLI may not be an outright substitute, but it's still a worthy second option.

The “GTI With A Trunk”

Believe it or not, the Jetta GLI has been colloquially known as the “GTI with a trunk”, and that's for a good reason. Throughout its history, the Jetta GLI was indeed mostly a Golf GTI, but in sedan form, though the two most recent generations have had their development principles split into two. The two recent generations, the Golf Mk. VII and the current Mk. VIII, utilized the more premium MQB and MQB Evo platforms, respectively, while it wasn't until the current generation Jetta GLI that a derivative of the original MQB (MQB A1) platform was finally adopted. The Jetta is a North American-focused vehicle, while derivatives of the Jetta are sold in China, and other international markets as well.

The split in development is noticed in the interior, for better or worse. For one, the interior of the Jetta GLI is less modern than the one in the Golf GTI and Golf R. It doesn't feel as premium, nor does it come with the latest software that Volkswagen is proud to highlight. It also gets a smaller 8-inch infotainment system with atrociously large bezels that uses an older version of Volkswagen's software, which is likewise the case for its 10.25-inch fully digital gauges. On the upside, the older electronics architecture means it has more physical controls than the new Golf models, which makes its interior far more ergonomic to interact with.

Improved Looks, Same Drivability

For a facelift, the changes made to the Jetta range are quite comprehensive. The front fascia is completely new, featuring a slimmer grille with an LED light bar, while the GLI gets a sportier front bumper design. The side profile is largely unchanged, but the rear end gets a new trunk lid design that features an LED light bar connecting the two taillights. It's a significant glow-up that makes it look less like a rental car and more like a car that you aspire to own.

The changes, however, are only skin-deep, because mechanically, the Jetta GLI remains unchanged. It still gets the same 2.0-liter EA888 turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine that produces 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, which can still be paired with either a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission or a six-speed manual.

For making the vehicle handle just as well as it accelerates, VW included larger brakes, torque-sensing limited-slip differential (LSD) with Volkswagen's XDS electronic differential lock, adaptive damping system, and a unique sport exhaust system to give it a voice that speaks out its sporting intents. Its key rival, the Honda Civic Si, also comes with a manual, but is a bit less powerful and doesn't come with some of the electromechanical systems that the Jetta GLI has.

What Led To The Death Of The Manual Golf Hot Hatches

As mentioned, a combination of shifting consumer demands and ever-stricter emissions regulations has meant that developing a manual Golf GTI and Golf R has become less feasible. While these are generic factors, here are the exact reasons from Volkswagen of America itself as to why the Golf GTI and Golf R won't be getting a manual transmission.

Blame Euro 7, Only For It To Become Less Lenient

When the development of the facelifted “Mk. 8.5” Golf GTI and Golf R were initially conceived years ago, it took into account upcoming Euro 7 emissions standards at that time. The stricter emissions meant that producing the manual wasn't going to be feasible anymore, especially since, from a global perspective, Kai Grunitz told our sister site CarBuzz that a staggering 95 percent of buyers opted for the dual-clutch automatic-equipped Golf GTI.

Euro 7 rules, however, were eventually relaxed, but the facelifted Golf GTI and Golf R were already way too deep into their development for the manual transmission to be brought back. Indeed, this was a case of unpredictable emissions regulations, only for them to be changed at the last minute, which ultimately led to the death of the manual transmission.

So Yes, It Wasn't (Entirely) Due to Demand

The manual Golf R was only offered in North America, and while the global take rate for the manual-equipped Golf GTI is at a mere five percent, that's not the case when only North American sales are taken into account. Believe it or not, according to Motor1, sales of the manual Golf GTI and Golf R in the United States are strong. In fact, 50 percent of Golf GTI and 40 percent of Golf R buyers opted for the manual, and if you take a look at the Jetta GLI, 40 percent of buyers also opted for the manual.

From a global sales perspective, North American sales of these enthusiast Volkswagen models aren't high enough to merit the development of a manual. Despite the high take rate in our market, the global take rate is abysmally low, and with the ping-ponging uncertainty of emissions regulations, the development costs to satisfy such a small demand is ultimately not worth Volkswagen's time, money, and resources.