Mini is one of the few manufacturers that still offer manual transmissions on most models.
There's been a lot of talk about the falling demand for manual transmissions lately. Recently, Toyota confirmed to us that sales of the Corolla sedan and hatchback, Tacoma, Yaris sedan, and 86 with manual gearboxes are extremely low. So low, in fact, that only one percent of the 280,000 Corollas delivered in the US last year had a manual transmission. Hyundai also recently removed the manual option from the 2020 Elantra sedan.
Mini, on the other hand, still offers a manual transmission in nearly every model it sells in the US, apart from the recently updated Clubman and Countryman John Cooper Works. You may be surprised to learn, then, that the British automaker is temporarily suspending sales of all manual models in America.
According to MotoringLife, the delay was caused by calibration testing that is currently underway. As of July this year, Mini will stop importing manual transmission cars across its entire range due to emission certification. How long will it take before Mini starts offering cars with manual transmissions again?
Delays like these tend to last around one to four months, but Mini was unable to provide a specific time frame. "As much as we at Mini USA would like to have a definitive timeline, it would be too early to say." Andrew Cutler, head of Mini Communications in the US, told the publication. He added that manuals "continue to be a huge aspect of Mini's value prop" and will "continue to be an option for the foreseeable future on most models."
The good news, however, is that Mini is finally adding the long-awaited dual-clutch transmission option for Cooper and Cooper S models starting in July, while the 301-hp JCW Clubman and Countryman are also getting a revised eight-speed automatic.
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