Purists who like more control over changing gears are looking forward to another disappointment: the Genesis G70 joins the line of sporty sedans with no manual gearbox option.
The stick-driven model can currently be obtained on some markets where the two-liter turbo option is available. However, the impending facelift will retire that engine in favor of a new 2.5-liter turbo-four unit rated at 300 hp (224 kW) or so. In all likelihood, the manual gearbox will retire as well.
The reason is quite simple: low demand. According to the company, no more than 5% of the buyers choose manual over automatic. Genesis wouldn’t be the first premium carmaker to abandon support of manual transmissions: BMW and Mercedes-Benz did the same before it, to name just two.
The 2021 Genesis G70 will be revealed later this year and go on sale early next year.