Honda will launch a pickup truck based on the Mitsubishi Triton in ASEAN markets from 2028, the two Japanese automakers have confirmed. The model will be Honda's first pickup offering in the region and will be built by Mitsubishi, which will do most of the development work under a memorandum of understanding signed by the two companies.
The agreement is the first complementary vehicle-supply initiative between Honda and Mitsubishi, and it gives Honda a fast route into a segment where it currently has no presence in Southeast Asia. Mitsubishi, meanwhile, gains increased production volume at its Thai factory.
What Honda has and has not said about the truck
Honda has not revealed the new truck's name or shown what it will look like. The company says only that the pickup will be based on the Triton, a one-ton truck built around a rugged ladder frame and sold in some markets as the L200. Whether the Honda version will be a simple rebadging exercise or carry distinctive styling remains unclear, though the expectation is that it will be a light rework to keep costs low and speed up the process.
Pricing has not been announced either. Honda has given no indication of what the truck will cost in any ASEAN market, and no launch prices, trim levels or equipment lists have been released.
Triton hardware and the ASEAN focus
The Triton is powered by a 2.4-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder or a naturally aspirated 2.4-litre petrol engine, with output varying by market and trim. The range-topping twin-turbo diesel produces up to 201 hp and 470 Nm (347 lb-ft) of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. Buyers can also get Mitsubishi's Super Select 4WD-II system, a locking rear differential and seven drive modes, and in some markets the truck can tow up to 3.5 metric tons (7,716 pounds).
The 2028 launch target applies strictly to the ASEAN market, where Honda says it will primarily sell the truck. There is no word yet on whether it could reach other regions. The arrangement builds on the strategic partnership framework Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi signed in August 2024, and shows that collaboration between the companies continues even though the proposed Honda-Nissan merger fell apart.
Mitsubishi already supplies the latest Nissan Navara for markets such as Australia and New Zealand, so the Honda pickup would give the same fundamental truck another badge. For Honda, borrowing Mitsubishi's existing body-on-frame hardware is a far cheaper and quicker route than developing a new truck from scratch, separate from the unibody Ridgeline it sells in North America.
Why American buyers are unlikely to get it
The Honda pickup is unlikely to reach the United States. Import tariffs already make it difficult to sell a Thai-built truck competitively in America, and the 25 per cent Chicken Tax on imported light trucks adds another major hurdle. Unless Honda decides to build the pickup locally or finds another way around those costs, the new model will probably remain unavailable to US buyers, leaving the teased next-generation Ridgeline as Honda's truck offering there.
