VW’s Manual Era Ends With the 2026 GLIMotorTrend - MotorTrend (MotorTrend - MotorTrend)As one of Volkswagen’s most popular models here in America, the Volkswagen Jetta has long been a great compact sedan option in a world dominated by SUVs. And if you wanted the Jetta GLI performance version, you could get it with an automatic and flappy paddles or the real enthusiast option: a six-speed manual. Well, we have some sad news for fans of the stick shift. The end of the 2026 model year Jetta will also mark the end of manual-transmission Volkswagens in North America. Possibly globally, too.We first saw the report from Automotive News (subscription required) and had to confirm it with VW for ourselves. Alas, it’s true. The last 2026 Jetta GLI to leave the Puebla, Mexico, plant will also mark the end of manual transmissions in any North American–market Volkswagen. The GLI will continue into 2027, but only with VW’s direct-shift automatic gearbox, or DSG. It’s an excellent unit, but losing the chance to perform a perfectly timed downshift will sting for drivers who grew up with three pedals.MotorTrend - MotorTrend (MotorTrend - MotorTrend)The Last Volkswagen Manual in the World?And the bad news doesn’t end there. It’s possible the 2026 Volkswagen Jetta GLI will be the last VW anywhere to offer a manual. As we checked with the North American office for the Wolfsburg, Germany-based brand on the fate of the GLI manual, it could not fully rule out the death of the stick shift across the globe. Although dropping the manual GLI is a North American–market decision, VWs in other markets have already moved on from manual, as well. In the European Union, stricter emissions and fuel-efficiency rules have made manuals harder to justify and pushed automakers toward hybrids and full battery electric vehicles.AdvertisementAdvertisementManuals still make sense in developing markets because they’ve traditionally been cheaper to produce and often more reliable, but those applications are mostly limited to lower-end vehicles and commercial use.Why Is the Manual as We Know It Going Extinct?Sadly, although manuals were once the fuel-efficiency darlings, that hasn’t been true for decades. Automatics have become far more efficient thanks to extra gear ratios and dramatically reduced slip due in large part to improved clutch technology. Bottom line: It’s much easier now to make a self-shifting transmission deliver improved fuel efficiency results than one that depends on a human working the stick and pedals.But the biggest nail in the coffin for manuals, and even automated manuals like Volkswagen’s DSG, may be the rise of the electric motor as the main source of propulsion instead of the gasoline engine.The Stick Shift Isn’t Dying, but It Is EvolvingThat said, a few automakers have been rolling out ways to replicate the feel of shifting gears in hybrid and all-electric vehicles. Honda has S Plus Shift in the hybrid Prelude. Hyundai simulates DCT-style shifts in the all-electric Ioniq 5 N and 6 N. Toyota has even been working on simulating a full three-pedal manual experience in an EV, complete with stalling and torque-sensitive engagement. The manual as we have known it is slowly disappearing, but it may not be completely dead yet. For North American Volkswagen fans, though, it is.Photo credit: MotorTrend - MotorTrendPhoto credit: MotorTrend - MotorTrendPhoto credit: MotorTrend - MotorTrendPhoto credit: MotorTrend - MotorTrendAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: MotorTrend - MotorTrendPhoto credit: MotorTrend - MotorTrendPhoto credit: MotorTrend - MotorTrendPhoto credit: MotorTrend - MotorTrendAdvertisementAdvertisementPhoto credit: MotorTrend - MotorTrendPhoto credit: MotorTrend - MotorTrendPhoto credit: MotorTrend - MotorTrendPhoto credit: MotorTrend - MotorTrendAdvertisementAdvertisement
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