Honda Plans Triton-Based ASEAN Pickup for 2028

Published October 22, 2026

Reference image: the current Mitsubishi Triton, not the unshown 2028 Honda model. Photo supplied by Mitsubishi Motors with its October 22, 2026 announcement; cleared for editorial use.

Honda and Mitsubishi Motors have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a Honda pickup based on the Mitsubishi Triton, with sales planned to begin in the ASEAN region in 2028. The agreement would give Honda a one-ton, ladder-frame truck for Southeast Asian markets where it currently has no pickup in its lineup.

The October 22 announcement is the first product-supply initiative between the two automakers. It is not a finished-vehicle reveal: Honda and Mitsubishi have not published the truck’s name, styling, powertrain, price, detailed production schedule or country-by-country availability.

What the two companies have agreed to do

Under the Honda announcement and the matching Mitsubishi Motors release, the companies will develop a Honda model using the Triton as its base. They describe the arrangement as complementary product supply, allowing one company to add a vehicle more quickly by starting with an existing product from a partner.

That wording does not establish how different the Honda will look or drive. It could receive Honda-specific exterior panels, interior details, suspension tuning and equipment, but none of those changes has been confirmed. Calling it a simple rebadge would therefore go beyond the information the companies have released.

The target is the ASEAN market in 2028. ASEAN refers to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a region where midsize pickups play a much larger commercial and personal-transport role than they do in many passenger-car markets. The companies did not identify which member countries will receive the truck first.

Why the Triton is the starting point

Mitsubishi describes the Triton as a one-ton pickup built on a ladder frame and one of its global strategic models. A ladder frame separates the load-bearing chassis from the body, an architecture widely used for pickups intended to tow, carry heavy loads and handle rough roads.

The current Triton is already engineered, manufactured and sold in the region, which gives Honda a much shorter path to a competitive pickup than designing a new platform from the ground up. It also gives the future model an established production base and regional supply chain.

Honda says it does not currently offer a pickup in ASEAN. The company sells the Ridgeline in North America, but that vehicle uses a different unibody construction and was not named in the announcement. Nothing in the agreement says the Triton-based truck will replace or be related to the Ridgeline.

Mitsubishi expects more volume in Thailand

The manufacturing benefit is clearer on Mitsubishi’s side. The companies say the Honda program should increase production volume and improve capacity utilization at Mitsubishi’s plant in Thailand. Neither has disclosed a production target, investment figure or allocation between Mitsubishi- and Honda-branded trucks.

Thailand is central to the regional pickup business, both as a large market and as an export manufacturing hub. Sharing the Triton platform gives Mitsubishi an opportunity to spread development and factory costs across more units while allowing Honda to enter the segment without building a separate truck plant and architecture.

The arrangement also fits Mitsubishi’s broader focus on Southeast Asia. Chiefs Review recently covered the new Mitsubishi Pajero’s launch in Thailand, another example of the company prioritizing products tailored to the region.

The partnership reaches back to 2024

Honda and Mitsubishi say the project grows out of the strategic partnership framework established in August 2024 with Nissan. The three companies have been examining ways to complement one another’s vehicle lineups and use existing products and technology more efficiently.

This pickup is the first publicly identified product-supply initiative between Honda and Mitsubishi, but the announcement does not say Nissan will participate directly in its development or production. Nissan remains part of the broader partnership context, not a named supplier for this truck.

What remains unknown

The Honda model’s name and design.
Cab and bed configurations.
Diesel, gasoline, hybrid or other powertrain choices.
Two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive availability.
Towing, payload and safety specifications.
Pricing and the first ASEAN countries scheduled for launch.
Whether the truck will be exported outside Southeast Asia.

The last point is especially important for North American readers. Honda has made no announcement about selling this Triton-based model in the United States or Canada. The only confirmed market is ASEAN, with a planned 2028 on-sale date.

The project is still two years from its stated launch window, so the next useful milestones will be a design reveal, production confirmation and technical specifications. For now, the agreement establishes the business direction: Honda intends to enter Southeast Asia’s pickup market using Mitsubishi’s established ladder-frame Triton as the foundation.

Sources and image credit

Honda: MOU on complementary automobile product supply, October 22, 2026.
Mitsubishi Motors: Honda pickup development agreement, October 22, 2026.
Featured image shows the current Mitsubishi Triton for reference, not the unshown 2028 Honda model. Image supplied by Mitsubishi Motors with the release and cleared there for editorial use.