Honda and Mitsubishi Team Up on a New Pickup Truck

Honda has signed a memorandum of understanding (a written agreement that sets out plans before a final deal) with Mitsubishi to develop a new pickup truck, according to Car and Driver. The new pickup is intended to carry a Honda badge by 2028.

The new truck will be based on the current Mitsubishi Triton. The Triton currently offers two 2.4-liter engine options, and its turbo-diesel engine produces 201 horsepower and 347 pound-feet of torque.

The pickup is expected to be sold in Southeast Asian markets such as Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. Trucks for both the Honda and Mitsubishi versions would come from the same factory.

Honda has a long history in Southeast Asia, where it has built scooters and motorcycles. The company's first four-wheeled vehicle was the T360 kei truck, built for its home market in 1963.

Honda also has experience with pickups in the United States. The Honda Ridgeline was introduced in the early 2000s, and Honda is working on a replacement for it.

The 25 percent Chicken Tax, a tax on small pickup trucks, remains in place in the United States. Honda versions of the Triton are not expected to be sold at North American dealerships.

Nissan and Mitsubishi are also working together on the next-generation Triton and Frontier, both bound for the U.S.