Nissan and Honda are tying the knot, merging two of Japan’s Big Three to form a singular massive, hulking automaker. Yet it seems that, in the marriage, Honda won’t be playing step-parent to Nissan’s kids — first the company struck Renault from the deal,

Sources revealed on Friday that Mitsubishi Motors, a junior partner of Nissan and Honda, is considering not joining a planned merger between the two Japanese automakers. While Mitsubishi will maintain its cooperative ties with both companies, it plans to remain independent and listed, according to insiders who spoke on condition of anonymity.

As Honda and Nissan negotiate the terms of a possible merger, we take a speculative look at what new vehicles could spawn from the unprecedented collaboration.

Honda executives recently shared insights into their rationale for the proposed merger with Nissan.During a media roundtable at CES 2025 in Las Vegas Honda stressed the urgency to address mounting competition from Chinese automakers,

Rather than entering a complete merger, Mitsubishi could work with the other companies while staying independent.