Amid all the talk about driver aids and even autonomous vehicles, Toyota has chosen to go back to basics via its SaveTheManual initiative.

In an effort to prove there is still a great amount of fun to be had by driving a car and shifting gears yourself, Toyota Canada hosted a day of gear-shifting glory to #SaveTheManual at its Scarborough, Ont. headquarters.

The event saw Motoring TV personality and racing professional Russ Bond, along with a team of automotive journalists, instruct attendees in the intricacies of manual gearbox operation behind the wheel of 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchbacks, equipped with a six-speed Intelligent Manual Transmission.  According to Toyota this gearbox was designed from scratch for Corolla hatchback and incorporates features such as downshift rev-matching control to ensure smoother and faster changes between gears.

“Auto enthusiasts have been singing the praises of the stick shift for a long time now, and with good reason,” said Cyril Dimitris, Vice President, Toyota Canada. “We’ll always be committed to developing the latest technologies and continuing to raise the bar when it comes to our vehicles, but sometimes, it’s great to get back to basics and rediscover a true love of driving.  There’s nothing like the visceral connection between you and the road when you’re driving stick, and we proved this yesterday right here in our parking lot. We now invite Canadians can prove it for themselves at their local Toyota Dealer.”