Very few customers would want hand-crank windows and individual manual locks on doors. Central locking and motorized windows are just standard now. Once you have the wiring and mechanisms in place for that, an automatic latch isn't a big step. But there should be a reliable manual override. Being able to get out of the car can be a life-or-death safety issue.

Even with manual latches, people are advised to keep a hammer in the car to break a window if necessary.