Honda and Nissan to start talks on potential mega-merger
GuardianDEC 2 2024
Honda, Nissan Hold Merger Talks
Above: Makoto Uchida (L), president and CEO of Nissan, with Toshihiro Mibe, director, president, and representative executive officer of Honda, in Tokyo on Aug. 1, 2024. Image copyright: Richard A. Brooks/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Honda and Nissan's bold, unprecedented partnership will help them leverage each other's strengths. Honda's hybrid expertise and Nissan's truck capabilities will create an exciting opportunity to develop innovative, competitive vehicles that could rejuvenate two iconic Japanese firms in a rapidly changing global market.
Narrative B
In a potentially misguided move, Honda appears to be orchestrating a "disguised takeover" of Nissan and Mitsubishi, driven more by strategic opportunism than genuine collaboration. Despite hopes of synergy, the merger risks repeating past mistakes, where corporate ambition and cost-cutting trumped the creation of cars that truly resonate with buyers.