Audi Saves the Manuals (for Luxury Segment Bragging Rights)

The dwindling supply of new vehicles offering a row-your-own driving experience spurs fewer tears than before, but the three-pedal setup isn’t dead yet.

In fact, offering a manual transmission is still worthy of boasting about through official channels. As it rolls out the 2017 A4, Audi wants you to know there’ll be an option to ditch the PRNDL pattern on all-wheel-drive models, allowing spirited motorists the increasingly rare opportunity to take full control of their gear changes.

Oh, and those other guys? Yeah, they don’t offer one. Audi made sure to remind us of that.

Finding a manual transmission in Audi’s lineup isn’t as easy as it once was. Currently, the only models offering a stick are the A5 Sport and S5 — hardtops only — and the A4’s hotter sister, the S4. By dropping a six-speed manual into the 2017 A4 Quattro, Audi can brand it as the only entry-level, AWD luxury sedan available with a stick shift.

The automaker doesn’t expect it to be a big draw, but that’s not really the point. The option bolsters the A4’s sporty credentials and boosts the brand’s reputation among the Big German Three. An available Sport package helps this.

“While we don’t typically disclose take rates, I can confirm that the manual has a significantly lower take rate than the S tronic (automatic),” said Amanda Koons, product communications specialist with Audi of America, in an email to TTAC.

When asked if a manual could make into other A4s, Koons said “we are not currently considering offering a manual transmission on any other drivetrains.”

So, it’s Quattro-only, stick fans. For the time being, anyway — consumer demand (or lack of it) could tip Audi’s hand to offer more stick models, or have the option disappear after a year or two. Sadly, history has shown that the latter scenario is more likely.

Audi hasn’t grabbed something old off of the parts pile, either. The new six-speed manual boats “extensive” use of magnesium and features a lighter clutch, open gear wheels and hollow shafts, shaving 35.3 pounds off the weight of the previous unit.

Connected to the transmission, be it manual or automatic, is Audi’s trusty turbocharged 2.0-liter TSFI four-cylinder, generating 252 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. The Environmental Protection Agency has yet to issue fuel economy figures for the powertrain combination.

The automaker claims a 5.7 second 0-60 mph time for manual-equipped 2017 A4 Quattros, seven-tenths of a second quicker than the past generation. Base models will retail for $40,350, including destination.

Olive branch or not, we’ll take it.

[Image: Audi of America]