Major Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reports that Honda will soon begin sourcing units of the Mitsubishi Triton in a bid to fill a gap in its product lineup. The Honda-badged pickup truck could enter the Southeast Asian market as early as 2028, with the possibility of being exported to other regions.
The move signals the start of renewed cooperation between Honda and Mitsubishi as the former works to turn around its slumping performance. Further collaboration points under consideration include cabin components such as speedometers and displays.
The Thai-built Mitsubishi Triton has previously been rebadged as a new-generation Nissan Navara in Australia and New Zealand. Honda has reportedly expressed interest in sourcing other Mitsubishi vehicles besides the Triton for rebadging, but specific models were not specified.
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At the moment, Honda does not have a ladder-frame truck in its global lineup; the Ridgeline pickup for the North American market utilizes a unibody construction. A nameplate has not yet been associated with the future Honda-badged Triton.
The supply of Triton units to Honda will potentially boost Mitsubishi’s utilization of its Thai factory. The same plant will also produce the upcoming Pajero, which is based on the same platform as the Triton.
Industry observers note the Triton deal as another instance of cooperation within the Honda-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance. Earlier this year, Nissan and Honda also announced a partnership for the joint development of components for software-defined vehicles.
