The Demise of Manual Transmission Cars: Why They’re Falling Out of Favor

The number of cars equipped with manual transmissions is dwindling in Vietnam. Manual options are mostly found in the lower segments, where MT versions are typically the most affordable and are preferred by commercial transportation service providers.

Car Manufacturers are Phasing Out Manual Variants

In September 2024, Mitsubishi launched the new generation of the Triton in Vietnam, offering three variants, all equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission.

The mid-size pickup truck from Mitsubishi became the only model in its segment to eliminate the manual transmission option, providing only automatic choices for Vietnamese customers.

Recently, Toyota Vietnam also discontinued the E variant of the Toyota Wigo. Consequently, interested buyers of the Toyota Wigo will have only the G variant with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) to choose from, as the E variant with a manual transmission is no longer available.

The Mitsubishi Triton and Toyota Wigo no longer offer manual transmission options in Vietnam. Photos: Mitsubishi, TMV.

Looking at the broader picture, the number of manual variants across car models in Vietnam has significantly decreased in recent years. Manual transmissions are now predominantly found in A and B-segment cars, MPVs, or pickup trucks, and are almost non-existent in higher segments.

In the A-segment, both the Hyundai Grand i10 and Kia Morning offer at least one manual variant. The manual versions of the Hyundai Grand i10’s hatchback and sedan models are priced at 360 million VND and 380 million VND, respectively.

The sole manual variant of the Kia Morning is priced at 349 million VND, making it the most affordable option in its segment.

In the B-segment sedan category, the previous generation Hyundai Accent used to offer two manual variants. However, with the introduction of the new generation, the Korean carmaker now only offers the 1.5 MT variant priced at 439 million VND.

Similarly, the Toyota Vios, a former sales leader in the Vietnamese market, used to have two manual variants. But after its facelift in 2023, it now only offers the E variant equipped with a five-speed manual transmission, priced at 458 million VND.

Manual transmission options are becoming scarce in the Vietnamese car market. Photo illustration: Volkswagen.

Other models in this segment with manual variants include the Kia Soluto (starting from 386 million VND), Mitsubishi Attrage MT (380 million VND), and All New MG5, a C-segment sedan priced at 399 million VND, which is comparable to A and B-segment cars. The Honda City does not offer a manual transmission option for Vietnamese customers.

In the SUV A-segment, all three models, including the Kia Sonet, Toyota Raize, and Hyundai Venue, are equipped with automatic transmissions. The MPV segment offers manual transmission options in the Mitsubishi Xpander MT (560 million VND), Toyota Avanza Premio MT (558 million VND), and Kia Carens MT (589 million VND).

Declining Popularity of Manual Transmissions

Affordability is a common trait among almost all manual transmission car options in the Vietnamese mass car market. These versions are typically the standard models, featuring the lowest price within their respective lineups, and they lack the equipment and features found in higher variants.

For instance, the Toyota Vios E does not have automatic headlights, a headlight escort mode, or leather upholstery, opting for PVC instead.

The Hyundai Accent 1.5MT lacks fog lights, LED daytime running lights, a rearview camera, or rear parking sensors. This variant comes with steel wheels, a 3.5-inch instrument cluster, and does not have a central entertainment screen.

The Mitsubishi Xpander MT is one of two variants currently being assembled by the Japanese automaker in Vietnam. Photo: Mitsubishi.

As a result, most of these models become the preferred choice for commercial transportation service providers, partly due to their lower price and partly because they are believed to be more fuel-efficient than their automatic counterparts.

In reality, there isn’t a significant difference in fuel consumption between manual and automatic variants of the same model. For example, the combined fuel consumption of the Toyota Wigo E, which was recently discontinued, is 5.14 liters/100 km, while the Wigo G with a CVT transmission has a figure of 5.2 liters/100 km.

For the Mitsubishi Xpander, the manual transmission variant has a combined fuel consumption of 6.8 liters/100 km, while the automatic variants consume 7.1 liters/100 km.

Thus, the advantage of manual transmission variants lies primarily in their price, but customers have to compromise on a “bare-bones” car with many high-end features and equipment removed, making them less appealing to family car buyers.

Why Manual Transmission Cars are Being Phased Out

According to Top Speed in 2022, a survey by CarMax revealed that the number of cars equipped with manual transmissions in the US had decreased by 89.5% since 1995.

Motor1 reported that the number of cars with manual transmissions in the UK had dropped by nearly 55% in the last six years. Specifically, UK customers could choose from 89 new car models with manual transmissions in 2024. This number stood at 197 models in 2016 and slightly decreased to 194 models in 2018.

Manual transmission cars are losing popularity among customers. Photo illustration: Shutterstock.

Top Speed attributed this decline to the fact that automatic transmissions offer a more relaxed and effortless driving experience. Modern technologies have also made automatic transmissions as efficient as manual ones, delivering high performance while saving fuel.

Another crucial reason, according to Top Speed, is cost-cutting by car manufacturers. Offering both manual and automatic transmissions for a model would require the manufacturer to conduct emissions and crash tests twice, essentially destroying twice as many cars during quality checks.

The rise of electric vehicles has also contributed to the popularity of automatic transmissions. According to Motor1, models such as the Honda Civic hatchback, Volkswagen Golf R, Volkswagen Golf GTI, MINI Cooper, and Kia Forte have discontinued their manual transmission options in 2025.

The MINI Cooper will discontinue its manual transmission option in 2025. Photo: Car Expert.

In Vietnam, individuals wishing to drive manual transmission cars had to obtain a driver’s license in categories B1 or higher. The B1 license was for non-professional drivers of manual transmission cars, while the B2 license allowed driving both manual and automatic transmission cars and qualified the holder to drive professionally.

Many drivers in Vietnam, despite learning and obtaining their B2 license with manual transmission cars, rarely have the opportunity to drive them after passing their driving test.

“I’ve had my B2 license since 2019, and I’ve owned several pickup trucks, but I’ve never driven a manual. If I were given a manual transmission car now, I’d probably forget how to drive it,” shared Duc Vuong (29 years old, Ho Chi Minh City).

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