Mitsubishi: going it alone or falling into Renault’s arms?

When Honda and Nissan were actively considering a merger—or takeover of Nissan by Honda depending on your viewpoint—one of the key attractions for Honda was the stake Nissan held in Mitsubishi. Nissan had taken a 34% stake in Mitsubishi giving it effective control but has recently reduced this to 24% to raise funds. The Nissan stake was significant as Honda was interested in Mitsubishi plug-in hybrid systems. Access to Mitsubishi’s hybrid technology via Nissan may no longer be possible, although reports in Japan suggest this is still something in which Honda remains interested.