Refreshed Genesis G70 to Drop the Manual, of Course

Korea’s answer to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class earned accolades upon its launch, with some kudos reserved for the availability of a six-speed manual transmission paired with the base 2.0-liter turbo four.

You know what’s coming next. Due for a refresh for the 2022 model year, the G70 is in line for an automatic-only future.

You’ve got to give Genesis credit for at least attempting to placate the purist upscale sports sedan buyer. Sure, the stick couldn’t handle the uplevel 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6, nor, apparently, was it the most refined and enjoyable of units, but credit where it’s due. Genesis knew from the outset there wouldn’t be many takers for a manual rear-drive sedan, but it offered one just the same, attempting to show that it took the segment seriously.

A Genesis spokesperson confirmed the stick-shift’s upcoming discontinuation in an ABC News spot first referenced by CarBuzz. Earlier in the model’s lifespan, Genesis said the take rate for a manual-equipped G70 was about 4 percent.

Seems the public wasn’t very interested, and there’s no evidence that members of the club are clamoring to get their hands on one before it’s too late. Just the opposite. In a message sent to Road & Track, Genesis said it has sold roughly 100 manual 2020 G70s — not nearly enough sales to keep the option around.

While the six-speed is still available for customers to order, Genesis wasn’t entirely sure there’s even one in its inventory. A rare beast, for sure.

Unless another automaker decides to go wild, we’re looking at a near future where no American can walk into a dealership and leave with a manual-transmission, rear-drive sedan. Not that they were doing that very often, anyway.

[Image: Genesis]