Honda is getting a pickup truck, and Mitsubishi will supply the bones. On October 22, 2026, the two Japanese makers signed a memorandum of understanding in Tokyo to develop a Honda model based on Mitsubishi’s Triton. According to Honda, this Honda Triton pickup is scheduled to go on sale in the ASEAN market, the Southeast Asian region, in 2028.
The Triton is a one-ton pickup built on a ladder frame. That matters for Honda, because it has no pickup in Southeast Asia today. Instead of engineering a body-on-frame truck from a clean sheet, Honda will borrow one that already sells across the region.
So far, Honda hasn’t announced a name, a design, a powertrain or a price for its version. It also hasn’t said whether the truck will look different from the Mitsubishi. What it has confirmed is the partner, the platform, the region and the year.
What the Honda Triton pickup deal covers
Honda’s announcement calls this the first effort between the two companies to supply each other’s product lineups. In other words, one maker fills a gap in its range with a vehicle the other already builds. For Honda, the release says, the deal is a quick and efficient way to add a pickup, mainly in ASEAN.
Mitsubishi gets something out of it too. According to the same release, the extra volume should raise production and improve capacity use at Mitsubishi’s plant in Thailand. Both companies said they signed only after concluding the arrangement would create synergies for each side.
Honda also describes the Triton as one of Mitsubishi’s global strategic models, with especially high demand in ASEAN. That’s the market the new Honda will target first.
The truck underneath
Because Honda hasn’t released specifications, the best guide is the current Mitsubishi. Motor1 reports that the Triton, sold as the L200 in some markets, offers a 2.4-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder or a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter gas engine. Output varies by market and trim.
At the top of the range, the twin-turbo diesel makes up to 201 hp and 470 Nm, or 347 lb-ft, according to Motor1. A six-speed automatic sends that power through Mitsubishi’s Super Select 4WD-II system. The truck also gets a locking rear differential and seven drive modes. In some markets, Motor1 adds, it can tow up to 3.5 metric tons, or 7,716 pounds.
The lower diesel ratings are worth knowing, too. CarScoops lists single-turbo versions with 148 hp and 181 hp, below the 201-hp twin-turbo. Still, none of these numbers is confirmed for the Honda yet.
How the story broke
The deal didn’t arrive as a total surprise. On October 9, CarScoops relayed a Yomiuri Shimbun report that Honda was planning a Triton-based truck. That report said Mitsubishi would build it at its Laem Chabang factory in Thailand, and Honda’s own dealers would sell it.
Two days later, the Jiji Press wire carried a similar account. As published by Nippon.com, it said Honda would receive Thai-built Tritons and sell them under its own badge in Southeast Asia from 2028. It also noted that the Triton is popular in emerging markets for its durability on rough roads. Then, on October 22, Honda and Mitsubishi made the plan official.
CarScoops also listed the trucks the Honda will face in the region. They include the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, Isuzu D-Max and Nissan Navara, along with the Triton itself and new Chinese pickups.
Why Americans shouldn’t hold their breath
For now, the Honda version looks unlikely to reach the United States. Motor1 points to import tariffs on a Thai-built truck first. On top of that, the 25 percent “chicken tax” on imported light trucks adds a second hurdle. As a result, Honda would need to build the truck locally or find another workaround to sell it here.
Meanwhile, Honda’s American pickup remains the Ridgeline. That truck is a different animal, however. CarScoops notes that it uses Pilot-based unibody construction, not a ladder frame. Motor1 adds that Honda has already teased a next-generation Ridgeline for North America.
Part of a three-way alliance
This agreement grows out of a larger one. According to Honda’s release, Honda, Mitsubishi and Nissan signed a memorandum on August 1, 2024, setting up a strategic partnership framework. Since then, the three have studied sharing vehicles in the short, medium and long term.
Mitsubishi has done this kind of deal before, too. Motor1 reports that it already supplies the latest Nissan Navara for markets including Australia and New Zealand. CarScoops adds that the Triton-based Navara wears its own exterior design and suspension. Also, Motor1 notes that the planned Honda-Nissan merger was called off, but the cooperation has carried on.
For now, the facts on paper are simple. Honda’s release confirms a Triton-based Honda pickup, built from Mitsubishi’s ladder-frame truck, scheduled to go on sale in ASEAN in 2028.
More from Fast Lane Only
