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@lemmy.world
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    21 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.

  • Magnetic_dud@discuss.tchncs.de
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    1 day 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

    • magikmw@lemm.ee
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      1 day 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@lemmy.world
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        19 hours ago

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

    • tb_@lemmy.world
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      19 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.

    • a1studmuffin@aussie.zone
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      1 day 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@lemmy.world
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        1 day 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@aussie.zone
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          1 day 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.

          • vulgarcynic@sh.itjust.works
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            23 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.

  • ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world
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    2 days 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.

  • PriorityMotif@lemmy.world
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    1 day 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.

  • cygnus@lemmy.ca
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    2 days 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.

    • john89@lemmy.ca
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      1 day 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”

    • nicerdicer@feddit.org
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      19 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@lemmy.world
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        18 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.

    • megane-kun@lemm.ee
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      2 days 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.

  • Gork@lemm.ee
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    2 days ago

    What will the new name be?

    Mitsuhonsan?

    Honsubisan?

    Nitsubida?

  • werefreeatlast@lemmy.world
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    1 day 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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      1 day ago

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

  • Nougat@fedia.io
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    2 days ago

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