Volkswagen Putting Manual Transmission to Bed After 2026 (opens in new tab)

Volkswagen will be completely abandoning the manual transmission at the end of this year. VW presently offers just one model with a clutch, the Jetta GLI. But the plan is to scrub the manual option on the sport sedan and run exclusively with the DSG. Some will bemoan this as a heinous crime against automobiles. But it makes a fair amount of financial sense for Volkswagen. Simplifying production will help the automaker save overhead and sticking with the “direct-shift gearbox” shoul…