Why Honda Could Soon Be Selling A 'Real' Pickup In The United States
Nissan and Honda may finally be finding common ground to officially join forces.
Key Points
- Nissan and Honda are in talks to share U.S. production, with Nissan potentially building midsize pickup trucks for Honda at its underutilized Canton, Mississippi plant.
- The partnership would help both automakers navigate economic pressures, including slowing sales, delayed EV plans, and exposure to trade tariffs, while filling capacity at a plant operating at just 57%.
- While neither company has confirmed the deal, a rebadged Nissan Frontier built for Honda is the most likely outcome, offering Honda a foothold in the body-on-frame truck segment without developing a new model from scratch.
According to a new report from Nikkei, the two Japanese automakers are exploring the possibility of sharing production resources in the United States. Specifically, Nissan could use spare capacity at its Canton, Mississippi, plant to build a midsize pickup truck for Honda based on the Frontier.
Nissan’s Canton facility currently builds the Frontier and Altima, but with the Altima reportedly nearing the end of its production cycle and electric vehicle plans delayed, there's a new window of opportunity opening. While neither company has confirmed the arrangement, it would represent a logical step for both automakers— Nissan's excess capacity was reportedly attractive to Honda during merger talks earlier this year.
Honda has struggled to gain acceptance in the truck market with its unibody Ridgeline, which, despite its refinement and practicality, hasn’t found favor among traditional truck buyers. After years of lackluster sales, Nissan shelved its full-size Titan last year, which was built alongside the Frontier in Canton.
A rebadged or reworked version of the Frontier under the Honda banner could be a low-risk way for Honda to cultivate a new client base without having to develop a dedicated chassis from scratch.
It’s not clear whether the potential vehicle would be a direct Frontier clone with Honda sheetmetal that would live alongside the Ridgeline, or a replacement for the Ridgeline built on Nissan bones.
A collaboration would help Nissan better utilize its U.S. footprint. The Canton plant was operating at just 57% of capacity last year—well below profitability thresholds. Any boost in volume would surely be welcome by Nissan’s leadership and its workforce.
For Honda, which produces just 68% of its U.S. sales volume domestically, shifting more production stateside would help reduce tariff exposure as the U.S. and Japan work to hammer out a trade agreement.
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An experienced automotive storyteller and accomplished photographer known for engaging and insightful content. Michael also brings a wealth of technical knowledge—he was part of the Ford GT program at Multimatic, oversaw a fleet of Audi TCR race cars, ziptied Lamborghini Super Trofeo cars back together, been over the wall during the Rolex 24, and worked in the intense world of IndyCar.
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Hope Honda figures out a better water pump that's external and belt driven!
Would be nice to see a truck that doesn't have built in obsolescence. I can keep my '76 Ford F250 running forever but there should not be the need to do that. Hopefully Honda does this right.