The 2025 Toyota GR Yaris packs a punch with its turbocharged 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine now boasting 221 kW (about 300 horsepower) and 400 Nm of torque. It launches from zero to 100 km/h in just over five seconds and comes in both a savvy six-speed intelligent manual and a new eight-speed automatic. The GR Yaris drives like a compact rally car, with adjustable all-wheel-drive modes including a track-ready variable torque split and a gravel mode perfect for throwing the tail out on a back road. Inside, it’s loaded with tech including a digital instrument cluster, a snappy infotainment system, and sporty touches like forged alloy wheels and heated suede sport seats. This little fighter can hustle, yet remains comfortable enough for day-to-day driving.
But the car is not headed to the United States. The reason is simple ... Americans just don’t drive manuals anymore. The stick-shift enthusiast has become an endangered species behind the wheel across the US, replaced by the smooth convenience of automatics that require no clutch and no driver input beyond throttle and brake. This shift has robbed many drivers of something deeper ... a tactile, visceral connection with the car. Driving manual is a craft. It’s about mastering the clutch’s bite, timing the shift perfectly, and feeling every gear engage with mechanical precision.
Automatic transmissions are undeniably convenient, but they make driving dull in comparison. They flatten the thrills down to a lazy slide through gears, taking the driver out of the picture. The manual gearbox forces engagement and skill. It reconnects the driver to the engine and road in a way no automatic can match. With cars like the GR Yaris delivering rally-bred excitement through a manual, it’s a shame the US market is missing out on this pure, raw driving experience.
Europe, Japan, and many other regions still crave manuals for the emotion and control they offer. The manual transmission is a dying breed, but its coming back with a spirit embodied wonderfully in cars like the Toyota GR Yaris.
If Americans ever want to rediscover what driving really means, it’s time to put the clutch back in play and bring manual shifting roaring back from the dead.
