A manual transmission was only offered in the base model.
Get ready to mourn, three-pedal enthusiast: The manual attrition continues. This time, it’s claimed a victim that, at least until recently, has largely stuck by the notion of rowing your own gears. However, CarsDirect reported the 2019 Mazda6 will not come with a manual transmission. Though I’m naturally saddened by that, I’m not the least bit surprised.
The 2019 Mazda6 will, as before, have two engine options. At the low end, you have the naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter SkyActiv-G engine making 187 horsepower. Then, for quite a bit more zip, there’s the 250 horsepower turbocharged version. From this point forward, Mazda’s order guides show only the 6-speed automatic as the transmission for both engines. Mazda confirmed the news to Jalopnik, so it’s fair to say the manual transmission in the Mazda6 is well and truly dead.
Now, most people won’t really notice the omission for two reasons. First, because the Mazda6 isn’t exactly flying off dealer lots. Against the CX-5, of which Mazda sold 24,029 so far in 2019, the Mazda6 has shifted just 3,525 units. Even so, the manual transmission was only available on the base Sport model. The take rate on a manual transmission, then, was slim even at the best of times.
There’s still hope (in other models)
Still, that’s not to say you won’t have a manual transmission option in Mazdas moving forward. The much more popular Mazda3 will still get a manual transmission — although weirdly not on its base trim — in its latest generation. Then there’s the brand’s halo car, the MX-5 Miata, which also maintains the option to row your own gears.
The 2019 Mazda6 looks like it will also be more expensive than its predecessor, but it will come with more standard equipment. According to the CarsDirect article, prices will start at $24,720 for the Sport trim. That’s up $1,875 from last year’s base model price.
