[bsa_pro_ad_space id=14]
Another nail in the coffin of the manual, with Mercedes-Benz confirming the end of its three-pedal vehicles.
0
Mercedes-Benz buyers globally will soon have automatic transmissions as their only option, with news the German carmaker will retire the manual gearbox from next year.
According to a report from German publication Automobilwoche, Mercedes-Benz – the inventor of the motor car – will phase out manual transmission production in 2023 as new models are introduced.
“With increasing electrification, we see that customer demand is shifting towards electric mobility components, batteries and (partially) electric drive systems,” a spokesperson for the company told Automobilwoche this week, saying it would stop offering the transmission gradually.
Presently, Australian customers can only option four vehicles with a three-pointed star and a clutch pedal – all of which are Vito commercial vans.
The larger Sprinter commercial van dropped its manual transmission in 2021, while the X-Class ute was discontinued in 2020 along with its gearbox.
It’s believed the last passenger vehicle to be offered by Mercedes-Benz in Australia was the SLC180 convertible in 2018.
Interestingly, Mercedes-AMG – one of the industry’s performance car stalwarts – has never once offered a manual transmission in its history.
Some overseas markets can still option an H-pattern for A-Class and B-Class models, along with the CLA.
Read more about Ben Zachariah 
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=15]