Death of the gear change: Less than a quarter of new cars have a manual transmission with EVs killing off the gear stick within FOUR YEARS

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Fewer than one in four new cars now come with a manual gearbox, as the art of changing gear looks set to become a driving art lost to the past as manufacturers switch to electric vehicles.

A market-wide review of new models in showrooms found that only 23 per cent have a gear stick, which is rapidly dying out as car makers ramp up their EV efforts.

The analysis highlights the dramatic decline in the availability of manual transmissions over the last decade, with two thirds of new motors in dealerships in 2016 having a gear stick.

Online motor sales platform CarGurus conducts an annual market review of manual gearbox availability. Its 2026 study found that just 67 of the 292 new models sold by the UK’s top 30 manufacturers are available with a manual 'box. 

This is down sharply from 197 models ten years earlier, with the accelerating transition to electric cars - all of which have single-speed automatic transmissions - sounding the death knell for motorists physically moving through a sequence of gears by hand.

And the market's shift away from operating a gear stick is having an impact on driving tests as a record number of learners sat automatic-only tests last year - though the pass rate is lower than for manual tests.

For motorists still wanting the most authentic driving experience, we reveal which are the 67 new cars in showrooms that still come with a gear stick.

Fewer than a quarter of new car models sold in Britain have a manual gearbox, which is rapidly being killed off by the electric vehicle transition

CarGurus' annual Manual Gearbox Report shows just how rapidly the component is being killed off by the motor industry. 

When it carried out the same study 12 months ago, it found 82 different new models sold in Britain had a gear stick, and in 2024 89 cars had one.

At this current rate of decline - combined with the upcoming 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel car sales - the manual gearbox is set to be extinct in new models by the end of the decade.

Every hybrid and EV available today has an automatic transmission, though some brands - including Honda, Hyundai and Toyota - are experimenting with 'simulated' gearboxes, which are automatic systems tweaked to feel like a manual to provide an increased level of involvement for the driver.

As such, the number of automatic-only models continues to rise. 

This year, 225 out of 292 models in showrooms are available exclusively with an automatic gearbox, up from 197 in 2025.

Fiat and Honda in the last 12 months have added their names to the list of manufacturers to completely phase out manual gearboxes from their lineups.

They have joining Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Mini and Volvo - all of which haven't sold new cars with gear sticks for at least 24 months.

Tesla, which is EV-only, has never sold a car with a traditional manual gearbox and stick. 

Jaguar, which will return to the market in 2026 with its new £120,000 four-door electric GT, will shortly be added to this list.

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While experts behind the analysis acknowledge that the drive to EVs is rapidly killing off the manual gearbox, they also pointed to the recent explosion in popularity of Chinese car brands for killing off gear changes. 

Among the fastest-growing brands (outside of MG, which is consistently included in the UK’s top 30 manufacturers), BYD, Jaecoo, and Omoda offer 15 new models, none of which are available with a manual transmission.

Chris Knapman, CarGurus UK editorial director, said the manual gearbox is becoming 'increasingly rare' in the new car market - and those looking for the most authentic driving experience will soon need to divert their attention solely to the used vehicle sector.

'Over the past decade, the number of new manuals has more than halved, reflecting the wider shift towards automatic, hybrid, and electric vehicles,' he told us. 

'Yet for drivers who still value the engagement and control of a traditional gearbox, the used market still offers a wide variety of options.

'From compact hatchbacks to sporty coupes, enthusiasts can still find vehicles that deliver the connection and enjoyment of a manual. 

'Our research highlights that while new manual cars are declining, there has never been a better time to explore the used market.'

Many UK drivers still prefer the engagement and involvement of a manual gearbox, but their options on the new car market is becoming extremely thin on the ground

For those motorists who do still want a manual 'box in a new motor, there are several very good options that still allow you to change gear by hand.

Dacia's UK range of six combustion-engine cars all come with a manual gearbox as standard, bar the Spring EV.

Ford (6) and Hyundai, Kia, Skoda, VW (5) have the widest choice of models with manual transmissions.  

Below is a brand-by-brand list of the manual gearbox options you can find in showrooms right now.

Record number of automatic-only driving tests

With the skill of changing gear looking set to become obsolete beyond the next decade, learners are already preparing for a world of driving without changing gear with auto-only driving test volumes reaching record highs, according to DVSA figures.

More than one in four new drivers chose to take their test in an automatic car, based on figures from the previous fiscal year.

Of the 1,839,753 practical driving tests sat in 2024/25, 479,556 did so in automatics.  That represents 26.1 per cent of all tests.

This is a big jump on the 23.4 per cent of auto-only tests in the year previous, and just 19.2 per cent in 2022/23.

Five years earlier (2019/20), automatic driving tests accounted for just 12.7 of all practical tests; and wind the clocks back a decade (to 2014/15) and they represented a mere 6.9 per cent of tests.

It means auto-only has risen from less than one in fourteen driving tests 10 years ago to one in four today.

However, pass rates in automatics - despite the general belief that they are easier to drive - are statistically lower.

In the last fiscal year, the pass rate for auto-only tests was just 43.9 per cent; for all driving tests, the average pass rate was 48.7 per cent. 

The acceleration in popularity is despite auto-only licence holders facing restrictions on the cars they can drive.

While anyone who passes their test in a manual car can legally drive any motor irrespective of its gearbox, those who take auto-only tests are strictly limited to automatic vehicles only.

And this could present a problem in some scenarios, especially when holidaying in countries where manual gearboxes are still popular, including much of Europe.

When motorists want to hire motors abroad, they could be faced with limited or no automatic options from rental vehicle providers.

They too could face higher charges if they specifically request a car with an automatic transmission.