Once a popular choice, manual transmission passenger cars are now on the brink of extinction.
In the United States, Nissan has ceased sales of the most affordable Versa (Almera) variant, which is also the last model on the market equipped with a five-speed manual transmission.
In an official statement provided to Motor1, Nissan confirmed that “production of the manual Versa S variant will be discontinued, while other variants will continue to be sold.”
For reference, the Nissan Versa S (manual version) starts at a price of $18,330 (RM77,902), while the CVT version is priced at $20,130 (RM85,553).
Despite the Versa’s popularity in that market, the manual variant accounts for less than five percent of the total sales of the model.
The U.S. market still offers new models with six-speed manual transmission options, primarily consisting of high-performance models such as the BMW M2, Honda Civic Type R, Hyundai Elantra N, Porsche 911, and the Toyota Gazoo Racing lineup (GR86, GR Corolla, GR Supra).
