7mo ago

Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi confirm they are in merger talks

www.theguardian.com

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.

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Nissan’s former CEO Carlos Ghosn, who fled prosecution in Japan by hiding in a box as cargo on a plane, criticized the plan....
FTF(them)
- 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.
  
  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.
- I've seen someone use that box trick before.
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.
- 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.
  
  Stellantis def has the expirence needed to turn Toyota into a unreliable brand. It's their bread and butter.
- Wait there are people who like Nissan? My old one chewed through alternators
  
  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
The enshittification continues. Good day to be a Toyota fan
- 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
  
  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.
  
  Mitsu's lineup went to shit long ago, nothing more to lose
- Alternative take: this merger will let them compete better with Toyota.
- But they can only improve now that they are separating from Renault.
  
  I don't know, recent Renault EVs look quite ok
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.
- 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"
That's it VTECS your Evo
- Rotary Evo
The Zaibatsu returns
- 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.
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.
- 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.
  
  Honda never really made advanced hybrids either and they absolutely chose to drag their feet on EVs, they pushed hydrogen way too hard and even that always felt like a marketing stunt.
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
- 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.
  
  When buying a new vehicle, you have several choice. You may purchase motorbike, car, van, or utility. Such variety.
- 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.
I just want the Mitsubishi Delica in the US
- 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.
What will the new name be?
Mitsuhonsan?
Honsubisan?
Nitsubida?
- Arasaka
  
  Friggin Corpos, man.
- They will most likely keep the brand names. But operate as a single company. Similar to how GM or Nissan operated after mergers. Not really different.
Guess my next car will be a Subaru or Toyota then.
RIP in peace Honda.
- Rest in peace in peace?
  
  Amen.
  
  https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/rip-in-peace
i41 cannot wait to get my grubby hands on the wheel of my ’26 MiNiHo.
- This is the first time I've seen "I, for one" as i41.
  I want the MiNiHo model i41
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.
- My Honda Fit somehow braves northeastern winters better than most of my previous cars. I don't get it either.
  
  I don't know why the fit is the perfect vehicle, but I swear by mine
I wonder if this includes things like Mitsubishi trucks and heavy equipment.
- WOOBY but I believe that Mitsubishi Fuso is its own entity, like Volvo Trucks sharing only a name with the consumer cars
  
  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.
Good.

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