Mercedes has only 22 models with manual transmission out of a total of almost 240

Electrification accelerates the disappearance of manual gearboxes. At the moment, Mercedes has only 22 models with manual transmission out of a total of 240 which mean less than 10%.

If there were no compact range, Mercedes would have only two models  with manual transmission: C 180d/122 HP and C 200d/150 HP both equipped with the old origin Renault-Nissan 1.6-liter engine.

As this engine has already disappeared from the Renault-Nissan offer, it is clear that this engine will not be found in the offer of the future C-Class scheduled for 2022. This means that most likely the future C-Class will have only automatic gearbox versions. No model in the range above the C-Class has a manual transmission.

Other models with manual transmission only exist in the compact range and they do not have a secure future either. A160 d, A180 d hatch and sedan and B180 d are equipped with the 1.5-liter Renault engine modified by Mercedes mated with  6-speed manual transmission. It provides 116 HP in A 180 d and B 180 d. Mercedes has already found the solution to replace it with a weaker version of its own 2-liter engine OM654q (Q from the transverse mount, in C, GLC, E-Class is mounted longitudinally ) which provides the same 116 HP. It already works in the new GLA and GLB combined exclusively with the 8G-speed automatic transmission and 8G-DCT dual clutch.

The manual transmission survived only in combination with the 1.33-liter gasoline engine built with Renault that provides 109, 136 or 163 HP in A-Class, B-Class, CLA/CLA Shooting brake. In GLA and GLB the same engine is mated exclusively with 7-speed automatic transmission and double clutch provided by Getrag.
It is not known whether this engine will survive in future generations because Mercedes has developed a new 1.5-liter four-cylinder that is already electrified and provides 184 HP in C 200.

We further present the list of Mercedes models with manual transmission. From all Mercedes models with manual transmission only five has an original Mercedes engine. All others are powered by Renault origin engines. 

In US, Mercedes dropped manual transmissions already since 2011. Europe is the only region where the manual transmissions survived. Markus Schaeffer, the head of the company’s Research and Development operations, confirmed already that is only a matter of time until the manual transmissions will dissapear also from Europe.