Summary
Honda and Mitsubishi Motors signed an MOU to develop a Honda pickup based on the Mitsubishi Triton. Sales in the ASEAN market are scheduled for 2028.
Honda Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a Honda pickup based on the Mitsubishi Triton, with the new model scheduled to go on sale in the ASEAN market in 2028. The companies describe it as their first initiative to supply complementary vehicles to each other’s product lineups.
What the agreement covers
The arrangement would give Honda a pickup model for a market where it currently offers no pickup trucks, allowing it to expand its ASEAN lineup. Mitsubishi Motors says the collaboration will also let it increase production volume and improve capacity utilisation at its plant in Thailand.
The announcement places the agreement within a strategic partnership framework established by an MOU signed on August 1, 2024, by Honda, Mitsubishi Motors and Nissan Motor. The three companies have been exploring complementary vehicle supply as a way to use one another’s products to respond more quickly to regional market needs. The 2026 announcement describes this particular vehicle arrangement as one between Honda and Mitsubishi Motors.
Why the Triton is the basis
Mitsubishi describes the Triton as a one-ton pickup built on a robust ladder frame and one of its global strategic models. The company says demand for it is particularly high in ASEAN. Using the Triton as the basis for a Honda model could give Honda a quicker route into the region’s pickup segment, while added production would support utilisation at Mitsubishi Motors’ Thai plant.
The announcement is an MOU for development, with sales scheduled for 2028. It does not provide specifications or retail details for the Honda model.