91% of New Cars Come Without a Manual Handbrake

Research shows that traditional manual handbrakes in new car models have continued to decrease significantly.

The sixth edition of the CarGurus Manual Handbrake Report, reveals that electronic handbrakes have now become the norm, being present in 91% of new cars available for purchase.

Compared to just four years ago, consumers now have a notably reduced selection, with 61% fewer car models equipped with manual handbrakes.

Last year, CarGurus reported that Abarth was the sole mainstream car manufacturer offering manual handbrakes across its entire range. However, with the introduction of the Abarth 500e, there is currently no major brand that maintains this feature throughout its lineup.

Several popular cars have vanished from the list this year, including the Ford Fiesta, Ford EcoSport, and Kia Rio, which have been discontinued. Meanwhile, new versions of the Renault Clio, Renault Captur, Toyota Land Cruiser, and Toyota Yaris have transitioned to electronic handbrakes.

Suzuki, Abarth, Dacia, Fiat, and Ssangyong are among the brands that still provide a considerable percentage of models equipped with manual handbrakes. Suzuki leads the way with 71% of its models retaining this feature, followed by Abarth with 66%, Dacia with 50%, Fiat with 45% and Ssangyong with 40%.

This shift away from manual handbrakes has been a gradual one, as data from the first CarGurus 2018 report highlights. In 2018, 37% of new models contained the classic car component compared to just 9% of new models today.