Volkswagen Australia has sensationally consigned the manual gearbox to history in its performance models, ruling out future ‘stick’ versions of the venerable Golf GTI and Golf R hot hatches.
The reason? No-one is buying them.
Speaking with carsales.com.au at this month’s launch of the Golf R Special Edition, equipped solely with the firm’s seven-speed wet-clutch DSG automatic transmission, Volkswagen Australia product marketing manager Jeff Shafer said performance variants of the upcoming Mk8 Golf would not be available with manual transmission either.
“I doubt it very much,” Shafer said.
Volkswagen Australia recently pared back its Golf 7 line-up in Australia as a result of the new WLTP emissions testing process in Europe.
The cost of the exhaustive new testing regime meant the Volkswagen Group had to be selective about which variants it offered in different markets globally.
For Golf GTI and Golf R aficionados, the prognosis wasn’t good. Volkswagen Australia confirmed the last manual variant of the current Golf 7.5 would be the GTI Original launched earlier this year – of which there are only a handful of new examples still available in showrooms.
However, there was a glimmer of hope at the time of the manual’s axing that a manual would return in the Mark 8 performance variants, due some time around 2020.
However, Shafer watered down such talk.
“I think every market’s very similar in terms of favouring DSG. With WLTP in place in Europe, it means the variations that have been developed have been reduced in terms of drivelines,” Shafer said.
“I think the decision won’t be based off whether we ask for a manual; it will be based on what we’re offered in Australia.
“I don’t expect a GTI manual variant or a Golf R manual variant.”
Volkswagen is certainly not alone in axing the manual. Many performance manufacturers have been faced with a similar scenario, one compounded by increasingly effective automatic transmissions.
Porsche and BMW have vowed to continue offering manual gearbox options in their performance variants.
This is despite the fact only 13 per cent of Aussie buyers now opt for a manual transmission in the BMW M2, and a similar percentage favour their Porsche 911 with three pedals.