Volkswagen India has quietly discontinued the manual transmission option from the 1.5-litre engine variants of the Virtus sedan and Taigun SUV. Earlier, buyers could choose between a manual gearbox and a 7-speed DSG automatic with the larger 1.5 TSI engine. Now with the manual option gone, automatic transmission is the only option available. Now buyers who prefer a manual transmission will need to opt for the smaller 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine, as it is the only variant in the line-up to offer a manual gearbox. This small engine also has the option of a 6-speed torque converter automatic.The 1.5-litre turbo-petrol produces 150 hp and 250 Nm of torque. The smaller 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder produces 117 hp and 178 Nm of torque. The 1.5 TSI paired with a manual gearbox was part of the Taigun range from the start, while the same combination was introduced for the Virtus sometime in 2023. In September 2024, Skoda had similarly eliminated the manual transmission option for the 1.5-litre engine variants of the Slavia and Kushaq.
As mentioned earlier, VW has quietly discontinued MT gearbox options and hasn’t released any official explanation for this decision, but we think the move is largely to simplify the variant range and reflect changing customer demand, with automatic gearboxes becoming increasingly popular in higher-powered petrol models. Enthusiast customers who still prefer the manual gearbox with the 1.5-litre TSI still have the chance for a limited time. If they are lucky, they may still get limited stock at select dealerships.
