Honda and Nissan have gone public with their plans to merge, making many wonder if Nissan’s alliance partner, Mitsubishi, would go along for the ride. Recent reporting suggests that it will not be a part of the new deal, though it has denied making a final decision.
Yomiuri, a Japanese newspaper, reported that Mitsubishi would not join the merger but instead work with the two automakers as an independent company. The paper cited anonymous sources, but Mitsubishi would not substantiate the reporting, saying the information “was not released by Mitsubishi.”
Mitsubishi’s CEO previously told reporters the company would wait to see how the new partnership plays out. He noted that it was too early in the process to know how and where the automaker could fit in. He also said Mitsubishi would decide on its next steps by the end of January, so an announcement is likely coming soon.
As Automotive News pointed out, Mitsubishi isn’t exactly a corporate behemoth on its own. The automaker sells fewer than one million vehicles annually worldwide, making it a sort of “also ran” in the country’s auto industry. Nissan is its biggest shareholder, which could make Mitsubishi’s independence in the merger with Honda more complicated.
[Images: Nissan]
Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.
