Deal would create world’s third-largest carmaker with £46bn annual sales amid competition from China

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.

  • qyron@sopuli.xyz
    5·
    2 days ago

    Nissan and Mitsubishi make good cars as well.

    Hopefully, there will be a triunvirate for a transitional period and then, as it seems this will be a move like FIAT/Chrysler did when they bought Peugeot-Citroën, creating a new holding parent company, now Stelantis, that will take the best from all.

    • moncharleskey@lemmy.zip
      27·
      2 days ago

      As a mechanic, I feel I have to chime in and say that Mitsubishi makes terrible cars, and Nissan isn’t far from it. Honda is a significantly better product in my experience, though turbo failures on their L15 engines are quite common.

      • zephorah@lemm.ee
        1·
        2 days ago

        I watched a crash test coverage of various vehicles and Mitsubishi was scary bad.

      • qyron@sopuli.xyz
        2·
        2 days ago

        These three manufacturers don’t have a very significative market presence in my country but their models usually sell for higher prices and last longer.

        Mitsubishi has an assembly line here, where they put together the Canter model, which is a very sought after car for work, in flat bed configuration, for carrying heavy loads, or to convert into wreckers.

        Honda enjoyed a very good period but it became associated with older people (Civic, Accord and other big models) and thugs and street racing, with the Type-R line. They are more sought after for their small farming machines engines than anything else but have been facing serious competition from Kawasaki and other brands.

        Nissan has a partnership with Renault here and their 1.5dci engines have become legendary for being robust and long lasting.

        All brands lose value slower than most counterparts here. I can go on the market anf find 30 years old Nissans or Hondas with asking prices on the 2000/3000€ range, easily.