Subaru is looking to keep the manual transmission alive, as it announced plans to launch a new five-door hatchback equipped with a manual gearbox. This news was announced during a press conference at the Super Taikyu Fuji 24 Hours Race.
During the press conference, Subaru Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Tetsuro Fujinuki said that the car brand will be introducing a new five-door hatchback with a manual transmission. Aside from this, Fujinuki shared that Subaru will also be launching two other vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. This means that Subaru will be introducing a total of three vehicles with manual transmissions, and the timeline for the launch is expected to be by 2027.
The new five-door hatchback, which is said to be the image placed on the right, is being developed as an “affordable base car” that consumers can purchase at a reasonable price. While the initial specs and design have yet to be shared, it seems that Subaru plans to introduce a new five-door hatch that will cater to car enthusiasts who desire to drive a vehicle equipped with a manual gearbox.
Meanwhile, the image on the left is said to be a new WRX equipped with a TY85 manual transmission, a gearbox that was discontinued but is looking to make a comeback by next year. The TY85 is a popular term when talking about Subaru’s performance-oriented vehicles, as it is a six-speed manual transmission that’s equipped in cars such as the Subaru Impreza WRX STI and the WRX STI.
The third car, which is at the center, is said to be an MT model of the BRZ. For this specific car, reports state that Subaru is putting focus on making the manual transmission-equipped BRZ an agile car. Similar to other vehicles, initial specs and design for the upcoming Subaru car are yet to be shared by the Japanese car brand.
Autocar’s Take
Subaru wants to keep the manual transmission alive, as it announced its plans to launch not one but three new vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. This shows that Subaru wants to go back to its roots by producing and developing performance-oriented vehicles, which could be welcome news for car enthusiasts and long-time Subaru fans.
The planned vehicles with manual transmission are also a testament that Subaru is not forgetting about its brand legacy despite the direction that the global automotive industry is moving, which puts emphasis on new energy and fuel efficiency. For now, we wait for what Subaru has in store.
