Summary

Honda, Nissan, and Mitsubishi have confirmed merger talks to form the world’s third-largest carmaker by annual sales, aiming to tackle challenges from Chinese competition and the shift to electric vehicles.

The proposed merger, through a joint holding company, seeks to combine resources as Japan’s automakers struggle with declining sales and costly EV transitions, lagging behind leaders like Toyota and Chinese rivals BYD.

Nissan’s former CEO Carlos Ghosn criticized the plan, citing overlapping operations, while executives called it a pivotal move amid unprecedented industry changes. Mitsubishi will decide on joining by January’s end.

  • @phoneymouse
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    58 hours ago

    Honda strikes me as a lazy ass company. I know a lot of people like their cars, and they do make a car as good as it was 10 years ago, but they seem behind even American companies when it comes to EVs.

    • XIIIesq
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      48 hours ago

      Japan had huge success with hybrid cars and this caused them to put to many eggs in one basket and delay development of electric vehicles.

  • @[email protected]
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    712 hours ago

    Aren’t Nissan and Mitsubishi almost part of Renault?

    The Mitsubishi Colt is now a rebadged Renault Clio and the Mitsubishi ASX is a Renault Captur

    • tb_
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      16 hours ago

      The Mitsubishi Colt is now a rebadged Renault Clio

      Huh. They’re not very common here; when I saw one driving yesterday I was wondering why it reminded me so much of Renault.

    • @[email protected]
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      1011 hours ago

      All cars are other cars these days, it’s nearing car singularity. I drive a Toyota that looks like a Citroen and has an engine from the Opel.

      • @Agent641
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        36 hours ago

        When buying a new vehicle, you have several choice. You may purchase motorbike, car, van, or utility. Such variety.

    • a1studmuffin
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      620 hours ago

      To be fair to him, Japan’s justice system sounds truly awful! I had no idea, but just went down a rabbithole learning about it.

      • partial_accumen
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        2520 hours ago

        To be fair to him, Japan’s justice system sounds truly awful! I had no idea, but just went down a rabbithole learning about it.

        Then he shouldn’t have set up shell companies and funneled Nissan company funds into those to buy himself expensive real estate around the world. One doesn’t accidentally set up a shell company, deposit company funds into it, and then use those funds to buy expensive apartments in Paris.

        • a1studmuffin
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          620 hours ago

          Completely agree, I don’t know specifics of his case. But Japan’s justice system really does sound horrific - if you’re a defendant, there’s no presumption of innocence until proven guilty, and there’s a cultural expectation that you’ll bow to the state and accept guilt regardless of circumstances… seems like a very antiquated system to say the least. I had no idea.

          • @[email protected]
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            -510 hours ago

            Sounds like a cultural expectation of accountability to me. Living in a country that is the complete opposite, I can respect having a national sense of everyone should be doing the right thing and if you’re suspected of not doing so, you need to have the character to prove it thoroughly.

  • @PriorityMotif
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    820 hours ago

    They all use the same suppliers within the u.s. many suppliers are owned by Japanese companies. This gives them massive leverage over u.s. parts suppliers.

  • @remer
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    922 hours ago

    I just want the Mitsubishi Delica in the US

    • @[email protected]
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      37 hours ago

      The one (the boxy one, pre 1995) where the driver sits on the front axle has an outstanding design. Too bad they don’t make this design anymore due to crash safety reasons. The one (ca. 1995 onwards) where the driver sits behind the front axle looks boring, like any other generic family van.

      • @remer
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        15 hours ago

        I currently own a 1994 Star Wagon. I love it but the safety and reliability have me desperate for a replacement. I wish there were anything in the US market that was a similar Multi Purpose Vehicle form factor. The ID buzz range and price are a no-go for me.

  • ThePowerOfGeek
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    241 day ago

    I’m a big fan of Honda cars. Not much of a Nissan fan (I know lots of people swear by them, but I had a bad experience with a Nissan lemon years ago). And I’ve heard Mitsubishi cars are a complete joke from a reliability perspective. So this news does not fill me with hope. If they can drag the build quality up to Honda’s standards then fine. But that’s not usually how these things pan out.

    • @captainlezbian
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      819 hours ago

      Wait there are people who like Nissan? My old one chewed through alternators

      • @[email protected]
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        412 hours ago

        I’m baffled by that comment too.

        Nissan is Renault. Cheap, badly made junk. Not just in the US either

        Their reputation is gutter-level in Europe too

    • @[email protected]
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      1 day ago

      Don’t worry, when this new company eventually merges with Toyota, who already own parts of Subaru and Mazda, it will be perfectly positioned for acquisition by Stellantis.

  • mommykink
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    171 day ago

    The enshittification continues. Good day to be a Toyota fan

    • @mlg
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      81 day ago

      People complain about lack of STi and expensive as hell Corrolla GR, but I’d take that any day over a Nissan’d Mistubishi and Honda.

      RIP Lancer Evo

      • @mean_bean279
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        51 day ago

        Outside of Nissans CVT yall are absolutely sleeping on their interiors. Given the price they compete in they’re doing some really amazing work.

        Mitsubishi has also had the rather nice Outlander PHEV. The Mirage needs to go as it’s just too crappy and soils the brand, but their work has been fine. I owned an Evo and I’d love another, but that didn’t make them money.

        Toyota has also been steadfast against BEVs (which I can sort of understand, but their Bz4X is a shit attempt) and their new turbo motors have had some reliability concerns.

        Subaru builds the ugliest cars on the road with all that plastic now and their motors continue to suffer head gasket issues.

        Honestly a Honda-Nissan-Mitsubishi corp would be capable of keeping up the fight. Especially given Nissan was an early player in the BEV game.

        • @Pacattack57
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          324 hours ago

          There are a lot of design choices they got wrong but for the most part I like my Nissan. If parts were easier to replace it would be a great car

          • @HeyThisIsntTheYMCA
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            113 hours ago

            I had a 89 Nissan hatchback and I loved that gutless wonder.

          • Radioactive Butthole
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            220 hours ago

            Yeah I’m pretty sure mine is going to rust out before I stop using it. 130k miles and still going strong.

    • AlexisFR
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      122 hours ago

      But they can only improve now that they are separating from Renault.

      • @pousserapiere
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        222 hours ago

        I don’t know, recent Renault EVs look quite ok

  • @[email protected]
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    141 day ago

    I’m not sure what Honda gains from this other than production capacity. I suppose that depends on how closely merged the companies will be – they may only share platforms rather than go full badge engineering.

    • @[email protected]
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      514 hours ago

      2 fewer Japanese car companies to compete with.

      Hondas competition has always been Toyota. Now it can be “Toyota vs. Honda” instead of “Toyota vs. Honda vs. Mitsubishi vs. Nissan”

    • megane-kun
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      1 day ago

      I don’t think they have ever left. They’re probably not as influential and as powerful as the South Korean Chaebols, but they pretty much never left.


      EDIT:

      Clarified confusing double negative.

  • _haha_oh_wow_
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    71 day ago

    Guess my next car will be a Subaru or Toyota then.

    RIP in peace Honda.

  • @werefreeatlast
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    223 hours ago

    I’ve had a Nissan sentra and a maxima for many years. Now I got a Toyota hybrid and a Honda van and both are great cars. I think this will be great.

    • Tiefling IRL
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      20 hours ago

      My Honda Fit somehow braves northeastern winters better than most of my previous cars. I don’t get it either.

      • @captainlezbian
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        219 hours ago

        I don’t know why the fit is the perfect vehicle, but I swear by mine

  • Nougat
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    01 day ago

    I wonder if this includes things like Mitsubishi trucks and heavy equipment.

    • mommykink
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      61 day ago

      WOOBY but I believe that Mitsubishi Fuso is its own entity, like Volvo Trucks sharing only a name with the consumer cars

      • @[email protected]
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        312 hours ago

        Mitsubishi Fuso is part of Daimler Trucks, aka Mercedes Benz. But they should not be confused with Mercedes Benz, the car manufacturer, they are both separate companies.