Mitsubishi Motors is expected to join an alliance between Honda Motor and Nissan Motor, forming a tie-up between manufacturers with combined sales of more than 8 million vehicles, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Sunday.
According to Nikkei, Mitsubishi Motors, which is 34% owned by Nissan, will collaborate with Honda and Nissan to finalize the details of their strategic alliance. The three companies also want to standardize the in-car software that operates automobiles.
Mitsubishi Motors refused to comment on the claims, while a Nissan spokesperson simply stated that it was not based on something either company has disclosed. Honda spokespeople did not reply to a request for comment.
Nissan, Japan’s third-largest manufacturer, has been slowly losing market share in its two major countries, the United States and China, which accounted for half of its global sales in the fiscal year ending in March.
