Will Subaru Bring Back The Manual In Sporty Crosstrek And Impreza? They Can Now

Subaru has developed the technology to adapt a manual transmission to its EyeSight driver-assist safety system. Will they bring back the manual transmission in the next-generation Crosstrek and Impreza?

The manual transmission in Subaru vehicles will not be discontinued. Subaru Corporation made it official last month. The Japanese automaker announced it had developed EyeSight compatibility for its manual transmission vehicles. Subaru announced that the first manual transmission vehicle to get EyeSight would be the new 2023 BRZ sport coupe, which arrives in Japan this fall.

Subaru says the next-generation EyeSight will be available for its manual transmission vehicles, starting with the BRZ, the first to get the new manual-compatible technology. The Subaru WRX performance sports car should follow, but what about the next-generation Subaru Crosstrek subcompact SUV and Subaru Impreza compact hatchback?

The 2024 Crosstrek and 2024 Impreza were the last nameplates to lose the manual transmission. Subaru dropped four trims, the Impreza sedan's 5-speed manual transmission and the Impreza hatchback's 5-speed manual. The Crosstrek Base 6-speed and Premium 6-speed manual trim levels are also gone in 2024.

Why did Subaru drop the manual?

For 2023 models, to get Subaru's EyeSight suite of driver assist safety technology, buyers had to buy the Crosstrek Base and Premium trims with the Continuously Variable automatic transmission. Until now it was not compatible with the manual transmission.

All 2024 Impreza hatchback compact car trim levels and all 2024 Crosstrek subcompact SUV trim levels now come standard with EyeSight. The new models will now get the highest safety crash scores with the IIHS. And Subaru is well on its way to a goal of zero fatal accidents by the year 2030.

But now that Subaru has developed EyeSight compatibility with its manual transmission, the stick shift models with Eyesight offer pre-collision braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure and sway warning, lead vehicle start alert, and rear sonar warning.

In a recent announcement, Subaru said, "While retaining its high performance in collision avoidance, collision damage mitigation, and reducing the driver's workload, the new EyeSight system is now combined with control tailored to manual transmission vehicles' driving and operating characteristics. This allows the system to operate in a wide range of real-world situations, providing a high level of driving enjoyment and peace of mind."

The new Crosstrek and Impreza models that would be ideal for bringing back the manual transmission would be the sporty 2024 Crosstrek Sport trim level, the all-new outdoor-themed 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness, and the sporty new 2024 Impreza RS trim. 

We would be surprised if Subaru Corporation returned the manual shifter in the Crosstrek and Impreza nameplates. Dropping the manual is also about improved fuel efficiency in the new Impreza. 

The Lineartronic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) automatic in the next-generation 2024 Crosstrek and Impreza gets improved fuel efficiency compared with the manual gearbox. Subaru uses the CVT exclusively in all its models for fuel efficiency except for its sports cars, WRX and BRZ.

Subaru now has the technology to adapt EyeSight with any Subaru manual transmission. Will they bring back the Crosstrek 6-speed and Impreza 5-speed manual shifter? Stay tuned.

Would you like Subaru to offer the manual transmission in the two nameplates? Let us know in the comments below.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report, where he covers the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

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Photo credit: Subaru USA