Honda, Nissan aim to join forces by 2026

Auto alliance: The 2024 Honda City Hatchback facelift. In China, the soaring popularity of locally made EV has foreign brands fighting for survival, and Japanese carmakers there are stuck with too much capacity. — StarPix

TOKYO: Honda Motor Co and Nissan Motor Co took their first historic steps toward merging to create a new force in the world’s automotive industry, as aggressive competition from China forces legacy carmakers to rethink their business models.

The two Japanese auto manufacturers signed a basic agreement for merger talks on Monday, according to a joint media briefing held in Tokyo.