Current-generation Honda Civic. Illustrative image; the specification shown is not identified as a manual version
Honda is not dropping the manual gearbox, even as demand keeps falling
Honda intends to keep a manual transmission on certain models dedicated to enthusiasts, even though the number of interested buyers continues to shrink. The statement comes after a temporary halt in production for the Honda Civic Si and Acura Integra A-Spec with six speeds, a decision that raised questions about the future of those versions.
Lance Woelfer, vice president of auto sales at American Honda, told media present at the IndyCar Freedom 250 race that manuals represent a shrinking part of the market. The company does not expect demand to rebound, but wants to continue production for cars such as the Civic Si, Civic Type R and Acura Integra.
The message is welcome for enthusiasts, but it is not a guarantee that every future generation or every market will receive a manual version.
What Honda said
Woelfer acknowledged directly that the segment of buyers looking for three pedals is shrinking. At the same time, the official explained that Honda can keep the manual models in production because they are tied to driving pleasure and to the identity of the sporty versions.
Eiji Fujimura, general manager of American Honda, answered more cautiously when asked whether the manual transmission would exist for many years to come. He invoked attention paid to enthusiasts and values associated with founder Soichiro Honda, without offering a timetable or naming future products.
The firm statement therefore concerns the current intention to keep manuals on the assembly line. Honda has not promised that the option will exist indefinitely, nor has it published a global plan for every model.
Civic Si and Integra A-Spec have entered a pause
In July 2026, Honda confirmed a production halt for the Civic Si and Acura Integra A-Spec with a manual transmission, for the 2027 model year. The two cars are technically related and are built in North America.
The decision was initially interpreted as a possible permanent withdrawal. Honda later specified that the Civic Si will return with the next Civic generation, expected for the 2028 model year.
The manufacturer has not confirmed explicitly that the future Si will again have a manual gearbox. Woelfer's comments make that variant likely, but the technical specification remains unannounced. For the Integra A-Spec, the return of a manual transmission is even less clear.
The pause does not affect in the same way the Honda Civic Type R and Acura Integra Type S, the two performance versions that still use a six-speed manual on the North American market.
Why Honda still invests in a low-demand transmission
A manual version generates development, type-approval, supply and production costs that must be spread over a small volume of cars. From a strictly financial perspective, an automatic shared across several trims is simpler to administer.
For Honda, however, the manual gearbox also has an image function. The Civic Si and Type R are products that draw attention to the whole range, even if their sales are small compared with ordinary Civic, CR-V or HR-V versions.
Mechanical controls also help differentiate these models in a market where many sports cars have moved to dual-clutch automatics or electric propulsion. For some buyers, the clutch and manual gear selection are part of the purchase criteria, not mere optional extras.
Honda can justify keeping the technology as long as these versions support sufficient prices, loyalty and visibility. The company's statement shows, however, that volumes will not grow, which keeps pressure on every future generation.
Prelude points in another direction
The new Honda Prelude has no manual transmission. The coupé uses the e:HEV hybrid system, in which the traction electric motor moves the car in most situations, and the architecture does not include a conventional multi-ratio gearbox.
Honda created the S+ Shift function to simulate eight gears, rev variation and the impulse felt on a shift. The controls are operated from steering-wheel paddles, but the system does not turn the car into a manual model: there is no clutch pedal and no mechanical link through which the driver selects the ratio.
That solution shows the limit of Honda's pledge. The manual transmission will remain available on products chosen specifically for enthusiasts, but it will not be adapted automatically to every sporty or hybrid model.
Electrification complicates the manual's future
Honda will shift a larger share of resources toward hybrid cars and is preparing 15 new-generation hybrid models by the end of the 2030 financial year. The e:HEV system used today does not combine easily with a traditional manual transmission.
In a Honda hybrid, the electric motor frequently provides propulsion, and the petrol engine generates energy or is coupled directly to the wheels only in certain conditions. Introducing a manual gearbox would require a different architecture and extra costs for already reduced demand.
Fully electric models do not need a conventional manual gearbox, because the electric motor can cover a wide speed range with a single ratio. For that reason, the survival of three pedals depends mainly on the lifespan of combustion performance models such as the Civic Type R.
What it means for buyers in Romania
The comments were made by American Honda leadership and refer primarily to the North American range. The Civic Si and Acura Integra are not sold officially in Romania, and Acura has no local network.
In Europe, the relevant model is the Civic Type R, but its availability and volumes have been limited by emissions rules and regional strategy. The ordinary Civic range sold in Romania is centred on the e:HEV hybrid system and the automatic transmission specific to it.
Honda's commitment therefore does not mean a new manual model will appear immediately in Romanian showrooms. It indicates that the manufacturer is not closing development of the transmission for performance cars that can justify the choice technically and commercially.
For those looking for a manual Civic in Romania, the used market remains considerably broader than the new-car offer. Checking the clutch, synchromesh, service history and any track use is essential for sporty versions.
Frequently asked questions
Does Honda still produce cars with a manual transmission?
Yes. In North America, the Civic Type R and Acura Integra Type S keep a manual gearbox, and Honda says it intends to keep such models in production.
Has the Civic Si been withdrawn for good?
Honda described the halt for the 2027 model year as a pause. The company says the Civic Si will return with the next Civic generation, expected for the 2028 model year.
Will the future Civic Si definitely have a manual gearbox?
There is not yet an explicit technical confirmation. Comments from Honda leadership make that option likely, but specifications have not been published.
Does the Honda Prelude have a manual gearbox?
No. Prelude is an e:HEV hybrid with the S+ Shift function, which simulates gear changes without a clutch and without a conventional manual transmission.
Does the statement apply in Romania as well?
Not automatically. It was made by American Honda and mainly concerns models available in North America. The European offer is set separately.
