Honda Cars, Nissan Motor to merge soon to take on Toyota Motor, Tesla: Report

Honda Cars, Nissan Motor to merge soon to take on Toyota Motor, Tesla: Report

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  • Honda Cars and Nissan Motor are among the top three carmakers from Japan that also operate in India.
Two of the Japanese auto giants, Honda Cars and Nissan Motor, are reportedly considering a merger in the coming days to take on rivals like Toyota Motor and EV giants.

Japanese auto giants Honda and Nissan may soon join hands in a joint effort to grow in terms of sales as well as compete against rivals like Toyota Motor and Tesla, BYD in the electric vehicle segment. According to media reports, both the carmakers are involved in preliminary talks on a possible merger in the coming days. Nissan Motor is currently struggling to keep costs down through layoffs. The new merger will mean that Nissan will cut ties with French auto giant Renault.

Honda and Nissan are the largest carmakers in Japan in terms of volume and are followed by Toyota Motor. All three also operate in global markets including India. Toyota is one of the top five car manufacturers in India with popular models like Fortuner, Innova HighCross, Urban Cruiser Highrider. Honda and Nissan Motor are placed at the bottom with very low share in India. Honda sells models like City, Amaze and Elevate while Nissan has two models on sale – Magnite and X-Trail SUVs.

Also Read: Considering 2024 Honda Amaze? This is why the VX variant could be your best choice

The seeds of speculation of a Honda-Nissan merger were laid in March this year when both the Japanese carmakers agreed to explore a strategic partnership in the electric vehicle segment. The tie-up aims to take on not only big carmakers like Toyota, but also some EV giants like Tesla and Chinese electric vehicle makers like BYD.

Honda-Nissan merger: How carmakers reacted

Honda and Nissan have not denied the media reports outright. A Honda spokesperson responded to the reports, saying, “We are discussing the possibilities of future collaboration between Honda and Nissan in various fields and those possibilities include the latest reports, but nothing has been decided “

A Nissan spokesperson issued the following statement to HT Auto. “The content of the report that Honda, Nissan and MMC are considering a business integration is not based on our company's announcement. As announced in March and August this year, Nissan, Honda and MMC are considering future cooperation. “We are considering various possibilities, including the content of the report, but no decision has been taken; if there is an update, we will inform all stakeholders at the appropriate time.”

Also see: Honda Amaze launched as most affordable car in India with ADAS

Nissan Motor also issued a statement on Wednesday, saying, “The content of the report that Honda, Nissan and MMC are considering a business integration is not based on our company's announcement. As announced in March and August this year, Nissan, Honda and MMC are considering various possibilities for future cooperation, including the content of the report, but no decision has been made. If there is any update, we will inform all stakeholders at the appropriate time.”

Also read: Despite internal turmoil, Nissan will go ahead with India plans, increase workforce

This speculation comes at a time when Nissan Motor is facing a major financial crisis. In November, Nissan announced cuts of 9,000 jobs worldwide. The carmaker had also said it would reduce global production capacity by 20 percent. Its CEO Makoto Uchida even said he was willing to forfeit half his salary to help the carmaker stay afloat.

Upcoming cars in India in 2024, check out the best SUVs in India.

First publication date: 18 Dec 2024, 08:52 am IST

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Nissan Qashqai and Juke EVs to be manufactured in UK, say reports

Nissan Qashqai and Juke EVs to be manufactured in UK, say reports

by with No Comment car insurance online

Japanese auto giant Nissan Motor is likely to manufacture the electric versions of its two India-bound models Qashqai and Juke in United Kingdom. According to reports by British broadcaster Sky News, the Japanese carmaker will announce the development tomorrow, November 24. It is expected that these two models will be made at the carmaker’s UK plant located in Sunderland. Both these models were showcased in India last year in their ICE avatar along with the new generation X-Trail SUV. Qashqai and Juke are expected to hit Indian roads soon.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 23 Nov 2023, 13:50 PM

Nissan Motor had showcased the Qashqai and Juke, along with the new generation X-Trail SUV as the three upcoming models for India.

Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of UK, is expected to visit Nissan Motor’s facility in northern part of the country on Friday. He is expected to be present when the announcement will be made by Makoto Uchida, CEO at Nissan Motor. Earlier in September, Nissan Motor had confirmed that two of its upcoming electric vehicles will be manufactured at its UK facility. According to reports cited by news agency Reuters, Nissan Motor is likely to invest $1.25 billion in UK to manufacture new electric vehicles. However, the carmaker is yet to confirm which two models will be manufactured there.

Nissan Motor showcased the ICE and hybrid versions of the Qashqai and Juke in India in October last year. The Juke is smaller in size compared to Qashqai, and could rival the likes of Creta and Seltos when launched in India. Qashqai could aim at the popularity of Harrier and others. The carmaker is currently testing the road feasibility of these models. The Qashqai has already been spotted on Indian roads during test runs.

Also watch: Top highlights of the Nissan Qashqai showcased in India

Nissan offers the Qashqai SUV with petrol engine mated to a hybrid system. The 1.3-litre turbocharged engine can generate up to 140 bhp of power and 156 Nm of peak torque. The transmission job is handled by Nissan’s Xtronic CVT gearbox. Nissan also offers a 1.5-litre unit mated to an ePower gearbox with Qashqai. This engine is capable of generating 156 bhp of power. Nissan Juke comes with a 1.00-litre petrol engine, mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DCT gearbox. The engine can generate 115 bhp of power and up to 200 Nm of peak torque.

First Published Date: 23 Nov 2023, 13:50 PM IST


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Nissan Magnite Kuro edition launched at ₹8.27 lakh

Nissan Magnite Kuro edition launched at ₹8.27 lakh

by with No Comment car insurance online

Nissan Motor has launched the Kuro edition of the Magnite SUV in India. The carmaker has announced that the price of this special edition Magnite to commemorate ICC World Cup Cricket will start from ₹8.27 lakh (ex-showroom). The carmaker had opened the bookings for the Magnite Kuro at ₹11,000 last month. Wrapped in an all-black exterior and interior theme, Magnite Kuro will basically be the black edition of one of the most affordable SUVs in India. Kuro is a Japanese word which means Black in English. The carmaker recently unveiled the Magnite Kuro edition revealing its design and features ahead of the launch.

By: HT Auto Desk
| Updated on: 07 Oct 2023, 13:12 PM

Nissan Motor has launched the Kuro edition of the Magnite SUV which comes with an all-black theme.

Nissan Magnite Kuro, based on the XV trim of the SUV, is available in three top-spec variants which include the XV MT, Turbo XV MT and Turbo XV CVT. The price of the Turbo XV MT is ₹9.65 lakh (ex-showroom) while the Turbo XV CVT will cost ₹10.46 lakh (ex-showroom). While there are no direct rivals for Magnite Kuro, it is likely to take on the Renault Kiger SUV’s Urban Knight special edition launched last month.

Nissan Magnite Kuro variants will come with similar glossy black exterior colour scheme. The Magnite Kuro will get blacked out grille, skid plates, bumpers, headlight accents, door handles and roof rails painted in black. The only chrome on the exterior is theNissan and Magnite badgings at the front and rear. The alloy wheels will come with red calipers offering some colour relief from black. Overall, there are no design changes in the Magnite Kuro edition.

The all-black theme continues inside the cabin as well. The dashboard, centre console, seats and upholstery has the monotone. Some of the elements inside the cabin have been given piano-black treatment for more premium look. The feature-list remains similar with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, digital driver display, wireless charging among others.

There are no changes under the hood of the Magnite Kuro edition either. Nissan will continue to offer the same 1.0-litre petrol and 1.0-litre turbo petrol units that power the standard versions of the SUV. The naturally-aspirated petrol motor is capable of generating 71 bhp of power and 96 Nm of peak torque. The turbo petrol engine can churn out around 99 bhp of power and 152 Nm of peak torque.

Nissan will also launch a new variant of the Magnite SUV on October 12. The new variant will come with an AMT gearbox and will be called the EZ Shift variant.

The standard variants of the Magnite SUV is offered at a starting price of ₹6 lakh (ex-showroom). The top-spec variant of the SUV costs ₹10.86 lakh (ex-showroom).

First Published Date: 07 Oct 2023, 13:12 PM IST


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