You can stop scratching your head over Honda’s decision to offer their shiny new turbo engine with CVT only. When the 10th generation Civic was introduced, the automaker promised to hear our pleas and to address them if we made a big enough fuss over the absence of a manual-turbo pairing. It’s official: we have been heard.

Until now, the decision to offer the manual transmission only with the naturally aspired 2.0L engine left people wondering why the sportier version of the model was left to wallow in the realm of electronically controlled gear shifts. Wonder no more. The manufacturer has made it official that their 174 hp, 1.5L turbo engine will be available with a six-speed manual transmission. A handful of journalists got to test the combination first hand at the new Honda Civic coupe launch event. Despite the “pieced together” feel of the test mule, the initial reactions have been positive enough to encourage the company to go forward with production.

No timeline has been disclosed yet, but we could expect to see the turbo and six-gear manual tranny team available in both the sedan and the coupe versions of the 2016 Civic as well as in the upcoming and long-awaited hatchback.

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