New statistics released by valuation expert cap hpi reveal that the automatic gearbox is making inroads on the dominance of the manual transmission in new cars sold in the UK. Last year, autos in all of their guises made up nearly 30 per cent of new-car sales, and in a decade automatics have seen a 118 per cent jump in numbers compared with manuals.
One reason behind this is obvious, with the increase in market share for direct-drive electric cars having an impact. Elsewhere, other than the Honda CR-Z, every hybrid and plug-in hybrid that’s been sold in the UK since the Toyota Prius first arrived at the start of the 21st Century has been an auto.
In the performance car market, virtually no hot hatches, sports or supercars come with manuals, reflecting the effect of motorsport, where sequential gearboxes packed with cutting-edge electronics are optimised to deliver seamless shifts.
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