Are we going to see a Honda pickup truck in PH?

MANILA: A Honda pickup truck might be offered in the Philippines in the near future.

Such is a possibility as Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) and Honda Motor Company, Limited (HMC) are set to develop a new pickup truck for the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) market.

The yet-to-be-produced model will be based on the Mitsubishi Triton and is scheduled to go on sale in the region starting in 2028.

In a joint statement, MMC and HMC shared that the project marks the first initiative between the two companies involving the “complementary supply to each other’s product lineups.”

Other stories: PH dealers group’s Sept. 2026 YTD sales hit 332K-unit mark VinFast O2O online car buying platform launched for PH FAWCAR official brings Joyee to PH

The two firms are part of a strategic partnership established in August 2024, which also includes Nissan Motor Company.

“One of the opportunities the three companies have been extensively exploring and discussing from both short- and medium-to-long-term perspectives is the complementary supply of each other’s vehicles. This would enable the three companies to leverage each other’s globally competitive automobile products to quickly and efficiently enhance their respective product lineups in line with the business environment and customer needs of each company in different regions,” the press release noted.

The Triton was selected for this complementary vehicle supply arrangement because it is one of Mitsubishi’s global strategic models and enjoys strong demand, particularly in the ASEAN region.

What would this mean for the two brands?

Both marques are expected to benefit from the synergy.

For Honda, the project would expand its portfolio in ASEAN, allowing the company to enter the pickup truck segment in a region where demand for such vehicles is high.

Meanwhile, the arrangement would allow Mitsubishi to increase production volume and improve capacity utilization at its manufacturing plant in Thailand.

Will it enter PH?

The arrival of the upcoming pickup truck in the Philippines remains uncertain, as Honda Cars Philippines, Incorporated (HCPI) has yet to confirm whether the model will be introduced locally. The timeline for its production and regional launch may also influence its potential arrival in the country.

However, Zigwheels Philippines believes there is a strong possibility that the vehicle will be offered locally, given the continued demand for pickup trucks in the country.

Adding a pickup truck to the local distributor’s lineup could also help further refresh and diversify its model range.

Another important question about the upcoming model is that will its use Mitsubishi’s diesel powertrain or feature Honda’s i-DTEC diesel engine, which was previously available in the Philippines through the CR-V. 

Also read:

Honda Cars Shaw dealership now under HCPI subsidiary

Honda Cars PH rolls out new City, City Hatchback; equips Civic with S+ Shift

2027 Honda Civic Type R’s upgrades make us want the hatch back in PH

Connect with us through our various social media pages:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZigWheelsPhilippines

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zigwheelsph/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zigwheels

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ZigWheelsPhilippines/