A hydraulic clutch system that enables automatic emergency braking (AEB) and remote start of a manual transmission vehicle. The hydraulic clutch system includes a piston-operated hydraulic cylinder or other accumulator to store a charge of hydraulic fluid that can be selectively routed to the clutch and discharged under electronic control to thereby disengage the clutch independently of any operator input via the clutch pedal. By doing so, the system can provide an improved AEB response that slows or stops the vehicle without stalling the engine. The system may also be used to provide remote start capability to the vehicle by automatically disengaging the clutch as part of a remote start sequence of operations.