Recent studies indicate that manual cars now represent only 20% of new vehicle sales, highlighting a trend that could lead to their near extinction within the next five years.

Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reveals that the market share of new cars equipped with manual gearboxes has plummeted from 86% in 2000 to just 22% last year. In the year 2000, there were 1,913,384 manual cars registered out of a total of 2,225,071 new vehicle registrations.

In 2023, only 438,828 out of 1,952,778 new car registrations were manual, marking a 7% decline from 2022. A recent analysis shows that among Britain’s 30 leading car brands, only 82 out of 278 models available in showrooms feature manual transmissions, representing a drastic reduction of 57% from the 192 manual options in 2015.

Chris Knapman, the editor of CarGurus UK, commented: “The continued decline of manual gearboxes is not surprising as more new vehicles are being offered as fully electric, coupled with a significant market shift towards larger and more upscale models.”

Knapman added, “What was once seen as an upgrade for buyers is now becoming the standard expectation, with automatic gearboxes no longer considered a luxury.”

Notably, prominent manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz, Land Rover, Volvo, Lexus, Mini, and Tesla have completely phased out manual transmissions. Additionally, Jeep and Honda each provide just one manual model in their current lineups, according to findings from CarGurus.

The production of the Ford Fiesta, the UK’s best-selling car of all time, ceased in July 2023, further signaling the decline of manual vehicles.

Volkswagen still offers the highest number of manual cars, with seven models available, although this is a decrease from ten the previous year. Following Volkswagen are Ford and Citroën, with six manual options each. Notable Volkswagen manuals include the Golf, Polo, Taigo, T-Cross, T-Roc, Touran, and Transporter.

This shift towards automatics is being further propelled by the increasing prevalence of electric vehicles, all of which feature automatic gearboxes.

According to the government’s zero-emission vehicle initiative, 28% of new vehicles sold in the UK are required to be electric this year, with targets increasing annually until 80% of sales must be electric by 2030. This change will also coincide with a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.

Reports suggest that Sir Keir Starmer has approved adjustments to this mandate following the imposition of a 25% tariff on automotive exports to the United States by President Trump, effective April 3.

Moreover, a growing number of learner drivers are choosing to take their driving tests in automatic vehicles. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency reported that 455,276 automatic-only tests were conducted last year, marking a 40% increase from 324,064 in 2022.

Experts from CarGurus state that some of the better options for new cars with manual transmissions include the Kia Picanto as a city vehicle, the Seat Ibiza as a compact hatchback, and the Ford Puma as a small SUV. Knapman further noted that manual cars are still widely available in the used car market.