You can kiss the manual gearbox option on the Buick Verano Turbo goodbye – yes, all twelve of you who were interested, as with the 2015MY update, the only transmission offered across the range is a traditional automatic, the reason being…sound the drum roll…low sales.

One person who seems disappointed is Carscoops tipster Taylor Meiklejohn: “While the manual gear box was an unexpected rarity in the Buick lineup, the Verano will most likely lose some fans (albeit a small population) as there are bound to be a few enthusiasts who will begin to look elsewhere now that the third pedal is not an option,” he told us.

So, what else is new for the 2015MY? There’s a new Dark Sapphire Blue Metallic color and a new appearance package that brings a rear spoiler and a silver/bright chrome grille and which is available on all models except the 250-horsepower 2.0-liter Turbo edition. The other engine option for the Verano is the 180 horsepower Ecotec 2.4L with direct-injection and an EPA-estimated highway fuel economy of 32 mpg.

Rounding up the changes for the new model year is the updated OnStar with 4G LTE and standard built-in Wi-Fi hotspot (with 3GB/three-month data trial) and the addition of a standard rearview camera (as with all 2015MY Buicks).  Prices are to be announced.

By John Halas

Story References: Buick via Autoblog

Thanks to Taylor for the tip!

PHOTO GALLERY

2015 Buick Verano2015 Buick Verano2015 Buick Verano Turbo2015 Buick Verano Turbo2015 Buick Verano Turbo2015 Buick Verano Turbo2015 Buick Verano Turbo2015 Buick Verano Turbo2015 Buick Verano Turbo2015 Buick Verano Turbo2015 Buick Verano Turbo2015 Buick Verano Turbo2015 Buick Verano