Subaru Eyesight Push Could Hasten Death of Manuals

Some potentially bad news has emerged concerning the future of manual transmissions in Subaru vehicles. As many of you might already know, the company is in the midst of a big push towards safety and automation with their Eyesight system. The problem is that Eyesight, which encompasses a wealth of safety features isn’t compatible with manual transmissions.

In a recent interview with AutoExpress, Subaru UK Managing Director Chris Graham, went so far to question whether manuals would continue to be used at all:  “I’m not sure if it’s [Eyesight is] compatible at all with a manual gearbox. There are certainly no rumours we’ve heard that manual will continue, or Eyesight will be [offered] with manual.”

While that certainly isn’t a big deal for most SUV folks, ditching the manual in the WRX and BRZ would be a very big deal for performance fans. The bright side to this is that there is always the chance this move would be for Europe only. The US does have a manual Crosstrek for instance that Europe doesn’t get. Losing a manual might not be a big deal for WRX and BRZ and if Subaru had a performance dual-clutch gearbox, but that doesn’t seem likely either.