Most of us have experienced that awful moment just before tripping or falling when time seems to come to a standstill. It's too late to regain your balance and your brain gradually accepts that you'll soon come tumbling down in a heap, hopefully without any injuries or spectators to rub further salt in the wound. The gradual demise of the manual gearbox is a lot like falling; we all know it's happening but there's nothing we can do to stop it.

Jeep recently bid farewell to the stick shift in the Compass, the refreshed Honda Accord arrived without a manual, and now another Honda - the Civic Sedan - has followed the same fate.

It's especially sad news considering that the Civic sedan, like many Hondas, had an especially sweet-shifting manual 'box that perfectly complemented the car's spritely handling. The news was confirmed this week as Honda released updated pricing for the 2021 Civic sedan, which starts at $21,050 for the LX, before increasing to $22,850 for the Sport, $24,200 for the EX, $24,400 for the EX-L, and $28,100 for the Touring. These prices all exclude a $955 destination charge.

All versions use a CVT transmission, whereas previously, the Sport was offered with a six-speed manual. Providing some consolation is the fact that the 2021 Civic Hatchback has retained a manual.

Besides the defunct manual, the 2021 Civic sedan is otherwise unchanged from the 2020 version, although this hasn't stopped the price from increasing marginally. All versions are $500 more expensive than before, besides the Sport, which gets a price hike of $600.

It's not a big surprise that the Civic sedan carries over unchanged as Honda readies an all-new 2022 Civic Hatchback and Sedan, which we got a first look at a couple of days ago. The manual gearbox is expected to be retained for the 11th-gen Civic, although we wouldn't be surprised if this option is restricted to the sportier hatchback, as is now the case with the existing lineup.