The 2024 Volkswagen GTI was always an iconic adherent to manual transmissions with the model offering a shift-it yourself option alongside its seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. However, changing market conditions are forcing the German auto giant to scrap the manual with 2024 being the last chance for buyers to get one.
Volkswagen is axing the manual from the GTI and the Golf R hatchbacks after the 2024 model year.
The Volkswagen GTI has always been known for being a benchmark entry in the hot hatch segment. Its hatchback proportions allowed the GTI to have an impressive amount of practicality while the availability of a six-speed manual allowed drivers to have a high degree of involvement in the driving experience.
However, changing market conditions have seen demand for manual transmissions melt away over the last few years and while Volkswagen remained dedicated to offering enthusiasts an option that has rapidly become rarer in the broader segment, it has finally been forced to throw in the towel for 2024 with the German auto giant confirming that 2024 will be the last year one will be available on the GTI
Volkswagen is celebrating the milestone with new GTI option package
The new GTI 380 package gives all manual-equipped GTI models aesthetic enhancements including blacked out 19-inch alloy wheels.
Unlike other automakers which gave their manual transmissions a quiet exit with little fanfare, Volkswagen will be offering a special package called the GTI 380. The GTI 380 package gets its name from the car’s internal production code and will be equipped to all manual-equipped GTI models with the package also being a slight nod to the fourth generation’s GTI 337 package. The 380 treatment is mainly an aesthetic-focused affair and gives the car blacked-out accents for the mirror caps and the roof with 19-inch black alloy wheels from the Golf R 20th Anniversary Edition also being included.
The package will also come with an exclusive color called Graphite Grey Metallic but buyers can also choose from the GTI’s normal paint lineup if they choose to do so. The interior carries over unchanged which is for the best since it still offers an impressive amount of standard equipment and luxury.
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GTI performance carries over unchanged
Performance still comes from a turbocharged 241 hp four-cylinder engine.
Performance for all 2024 GTI models continues to come from a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 241 hp. In addition to the familiar engine lurking under the hood, all 380 models also get Volkswagen’s adaptive damping system as well as DCC for sharper performance with the 380 package putting these two items on all manual trims.
The spicier Golf R doesn’t get the 380 treatment but it will also not be offering a manual transmission after the 2024 model year either. Unlike the GTI, Volkswagen is playing it more low ley in regards to the R, and while it will still be powered by a beefed up version of the 2.0-liter that makes 315 hp there are no plans for any special packages for the R.
How much?
Volkswagen will be offering the GTI 380 package on all GTI manual trim levels but there are currently no plans for an equivalent offering on the Golf R.
The 2024 Volkswagen GTI 380 will go on sale this fall with a base SE version starting at $33,635 for the base S model with the mid-range SE starting at $38,435. The range-topping Autobahn will start at $41,775. The elimination of the manual will help Volkswagen streamline GTI and R production while also allowing the company to respond to shifting demand from younger buyers with more of them wanting automatic transmissions instead of a manual in their hot hatch purchase.
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