Unfortunately, this is not a surprise move.
The take rate for the manual gearbox was less than 5% in the US – about the same for Canada.
In both Canada and the US, the manual transmission continues for the 2021 MY G70, which is already on sale.
We lose another manual transmission option as it will no longer be offered in the 2022 Genesis G70 in the US.
This is no longer a trend, it’s a fact of life: Manual transmissions are extremely scarce. With its demise for the 2022 model year in the US according to Carbuzz.com, the Genesis G70 will now only be available with an automatic transmission.
For now, in both Canada and the US, the 2021 model year G70, which is already on sale, is still available with a manual transmission with the basic Sport RWD trim which includes the turbocharged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine. When we asked Genesis Canada if this decision by Genesis USA would eventually affect Canada, their representative would not speculate on the future.
This won’t be the last time we read about a carmaker pulling the plug on the manual transmission. Just last week, Honda announced that the 6-speed manual gearbox was not returning for the 2021 model year Accord.