Honda will launch Mitsubishi‑based pickup in 2028

Honda announced that it will sell its first body‑on‑frame pickup truck in 2028. The new truck will be built on Mitsubishi’s Triton platform and will come under a partnership that also involves Nissan. The plan is aimed at Southeast Asian markets, where buyers still prefer larger, utilitarian trucks. Honda said the new model will have a distinct appearance even though it will share the Triton’s ladder‑frame chassis.

Production capacity and plant details

Mitsubishi’s Laem Chabang plant in Thailand can produce up to 420,000 vehicles a year, but only 170,000 were built in 2025. The extra capacity can be used to assemble the Honda‑branded truck. The platform will also support Mitsubishi’s upcoming Pajero/Montero SUV, which is expected to arrive in the coming months. By sharing the production line, the partnership can raise utilization at the plant.

Honda has no real experience with body‑on‑frame pickups; its Ridgeline in North America is a unibody crossover that looks like a truck. The new model is intended to help the company counter declining sales in China and to compete with Chinese rivals in Southeast Asia. Nissan also has an interest in the deal, though the extent of its role has not been announced. The truck grows out of a 2024 agreement between Honda and Mitsubishi, struck alongside a planned Honda‑Nissan merger that later fell apart; the supply partnership survived.

At this stage, the truck has no official name and the exact target markets beyond Southeast Asia are unclear. The project is still in its early stages, so many details remain to be confirmed.