Future Merger with Nissan May Allow Honda to Have Mid-Size Pickup on Chassis; Executive Confirms Study, but Project May Take Years.
The information was confirmed by Noriya Kaihara, director and vice president of Honda, during a technology event in the United States. The arrival of a new Honda pickup with these characteristics, however, is not expected to happen soon. Honda may enter the mid-size pickup segment in the future. The Japanese brand is considering developing a new model based on the Nissan Frontier. This possibility arises in the context of a future merger between Honda and Nissan.
Partnership with Nissan May Enable Unique Mid-Size Pickup

The basis for the new Honda pickup would be the result of collaboration with Nissan. According to executive Noriya Kaihara, Nissan has models in larger categories where Honda currently does not operate. He specifically mentioned vehicles in the E segment.
Kaihara stated that a model swap between the brands could benefit Honda in the short term. This opens the door for Honda to utilize the Frontier platform.
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Sell Nissan with Honda Logo?
The Honda director suggested how the partnership could begin. The initial strategy may involve selling Nissan models with the Honda badge. It would be something similar to what Fiat does with the Titan pickup in South America (based on Peugeot Landtrek). The joint development of new vehicles would occur at a later stage of the collaboration.
Partnership May Also Generate Chassis SUV for Honda
In addition to the mid-size pickup, the partnership with Nissan may enable another type of vehicle for Honda. This involves a new SUV built on a separate chassis (not integrated with the body). For this, Honda could use as a basis two Nissan models.
One option is the Nissan Terra, an SUV derived from the Frontier sold in Asia. Another possibility is to use the foundation of the Nissan Patrol, which was based on the large Titan pickup (recently discontinued in the U.S.).
When Could the New Honda Pickup Arrive?
The new models resulting from the Honda-Nissan partnership will still take a few years to hit the market. The new generation of the Nissan Frontier, which would serve as the basis for the Honda pickup, is still under development.
Its debut is expected only next year (2026). The merger process between the manufacturers is also not expected to be completed until 2030. This indicates that the potential new Honda pickup is likely to debut in the next decade (starting in 2030).
Proposal Different from the Ridgeline
It is important to differentiate this possible new pickup from the Honda Ridgeline. The Ridgeline is currently produced by Honda in the United States. It is a mid-size pickup, with a unibody structure (similar to a passenger car). It competes in the American market with models like Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz. The new Honda pickup under study would be different. It would be a mid-size pickup, with a traditional body-on-frame construction, inherited from the Nissan Frontier.

Vai ser robusta sem tecnologia e custar 10x mais que a nissan frontier.