The Audi A4 Will Soon Offer a Six-Speed Manual Transmission

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Rejoice, clutchphiles. Audi will no longer keep you from rowing your own gears in the fifth-generation A4.

When the car went on sale in America back in the spring, it was only available with Audi’s seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. But starting with the 2017 model year, customers will be able to check a box for a six-speed manual when ordering a new Audi A4.

There are a couple catches, but we don’t think you’ll mind. The manual gearbox will only come on A4s equipped with Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system, instead of the less-traction-y front-wheel-drive setup. And the new transmission will only be vailable on the A4’s that use Audi’s 252-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine, not the less-powerful version found in the EPA-friendly A4 Ultra. The manual A4 is capable doing zero to 60 miles per hour in 5.7 seconds, according to Audi, which it claims is 0.7 seconds quicker than the previous-generation A4 with a stick.

For those who require extra handling potential in their German sedans, there will be an optional Sport plus package. The sportier package comes arranged with 18-inch wheels, fancy sport Audi S-line leather, aluminum trim, a flat-bottom steering wheel, a sportier steering setup, and an adaptive sport suspension.

To be fair, there’s nothing wrong with the dual-clutch transmissions found in Volkswagen and Audi products; your humble author, for one, wouldn’t have complained if that had remained the sole choice for the A4. But with the new addition of a manual transmission option, we at The Drive couldn’t be more pleased. Except for, y’know, those times we’re stuck in stop-and-go traffic, wishing our left leg was attached to some sort of hydraulic clutch-pedal actuator machine.

Best of all, manual-equipped A4s will cost exactly the same amount as automatic A4s. Expect stick shift models to be available before the end of the calendar year.

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