According to Hyundai’s European technical chief Tyrone Johnson, the battle over the future of the manual gearbox is already over – and it lost.

“Nobody wants manual gearboxes and handbrakes anymore, or analogue instruments,” Johnson told Car Magazine in a recent interview, stating flatly that the manual transmission isn’t dying – it’s already dead.

It’s a bold claim, but one echoed by the broader trajectory of the automotive industry. Johnson, a seasoned performance engineer formerly with Ford and Jaguar, now heads Hyundai’s European development operations. He sees the industry’s shift toward electrification and digital integration as not just inevitable, but necessary – and already superior in many ways.

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His comments come as Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 N (above) continues to collect accolades, including the 2024–25 Wheels Car of the Year. A standout in Hyundai’s EV performance line-up, the IONIQ 5 N features an innovative system called N e-shift, which uses software, paddle shifters and sound generation to mimic the feel of an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission – right down to synthetic gear changes and engine revs.

It’s not a gimmick, Johnson argues, but a way to maintain the emotional connection that car lovers crave. “You can do some really clever things,” he noted, adding that the future of driver engagement lies in software, not mechanical parts.

The declining popularity of manuals is not just about driver preference. From a development standpoint, building cars with both manual and automatic options increases cost and complexity – especially with the rise of advanced driver-assistance systems and emissions regulations. In the U.S., Hyundai’s Elantra N still offered a manual last year, but the take rate was only 30 per cent.

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Johnson also pointed out that younger buyers expect digital tech, not analog nostalgia. Fully digital dashboards, electronic gear selectors, and drive-by-wire systems are now the norm, even in performance cars. The IONIQ 5 N doesn’t just replace the manual – it reimagines the experience entirely.

While a few manual models still exist, they’re rapidly becoming niche. As EV performance continues to outpace petrol counterparts, the manual gearbox looks increasingly like a relic – one that, in Johnson’s view, belongs to history, not the future.

Check the July 2025 issue of Wheels magazine, currently on sale, for our cover story on the remaining manual coupes on sale in Australia in the form of the Nissan Z, Toyota GR Supra GT and Ford Mustang GT (above).