Volkswagen has updated the Golf Mk8 for the 2025 model year, bringing improvements to the design and interior, but it has discontinued the manual versions of the GTI and Golf R.
Despite the growing demand for manual models, especially in the United States, the brand decided to eliminate this option due to low global adoption and the need to comply with the strict Euro 7 emissions standards.
The manual transmission also became a manufacturing challenge, leading Volkswagen to simplify production.
Although manual GTI and Golf R sales have increased in recent years, with growth of 48.6% and 29.6%, respectively, they still represent a small portion of total sales. For example, the Tiguan sold more than these models combined.
Even so, VW offered a special edition of the GTI, the “Edition 380,” to mark the end of the manual option, demonstrating that there is still interest in the model.
However, Volkswagen is not entirely abandoning manual transmissions. The Jetta GLI, a sportier version of the Jetta, continues to offer a manual transmission, with an increase in sales of this version, from 33% to 38%. This shows that, although the global trend is for automatic transmissions, there is a loyal audience for manual transmissions, especially in more sporty models.
Source: Motor1.com | Photo: Instagram @volkswagen | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team