It is an undeniable fact that fewer and fewer people are buying manuals, and part of that certainly has to do with buyers. But one of the annoying side effects (and I would argue snowball-effect-causing reasons) is that manuals are often only available on the lowest, least attractive trim level.
But finally, the hero we needed has emerged. Volkswagen, the company that has at times tested our love has finally rewarded our affections and is offering the Golf Alltrack SEL with an honest-to-goodness, three-pedal, row-you-own-gears, six-speed manual!
Minstrels, tune your lutes and break out the rhyming dictionaries: you’ve got some songs to write.
To be fair, this isn’t exactly shocking, because the Golf Alltrack has long been a hero to manual lovers, because it previously offered the manual transmission on its mid-level, SE trim as well as the base S trim.
But it’s still worthy of celebration, because the number of times I’ve heard someone say, “I would have gotten the manual but I couldn’t get it with X, Y, or Z” is, to borrow a phrase, too damn high.
Volkswagen is also adding more safety tech, including Forward Collision Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Monitor, and Rear Traffic Alert. And doesn’t it just warm the cockles of your heart to know that you don’t have to make a decision between that technology and a proper gearbox?
The 2019 Golf Alltrack will still come with the 1.8-liter turbocharged inline four that makes 168 hp and 199 lb-ft of torque. Now, for God’s sake go out and buy one!
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