Though you’ll struggle to find a new Mercedes-Benz sporting a manual gearbox in SA today, the option remains in some parts of the world. But that’ll change in 2023, when the firm officially pulls the plug on three-pedal cars…

Mercedes-Benz will officially phase out the manual gearbox in 2023, thereafter offering only automatic transmissions globally.

Although the Stuttgart-based firm’s local passenger-car line-up is already devoid of three-pedal models, seven of the derivatives in the latest 14-strong Vito range still ship with six-speed manual cog-swappers. The since-discontinued Mercedes-Benz X-Class, meanwhile, was also available in South Africa with a clutch pedal.

A Mercedes-Benz spokesperson confirmed to German publication Automobilewoche the company would phase out manual models globally next year.

“With increasing electrification, we see that customer demand is shifting towards electric mobility components, batteries and [partial] electric drive systems,” the spokesman told Automobilewoche, adding Mercedes-Benz would “gradually no longer offer manual transmissions”.

In some European markets, certain derivatives in the A-Class, B-Class and CLA line-ups can still be ordered with three pedals, while only automatic Mercedes-Benz models have been available in the United States since 2011.

Back in October 2020, Mercedes-Benz’s global research and development chief made it clear the end of the manual gearbox was near, saying such transmissions would be “eliminated”. Now, that time has just about arrived…