New full-size Nissan vehicles could be on the horizon—but there’s a catch

Late last year, Honda and Nissan dominated automotive headlines with the announcement of their planned merger. The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding to merge operations, with the process expected to be completed by August 2026. Driven by Nissan’s financial difficulties in late 2024, the merger aims to unite the automakers under a single holding company. Although many questions remain about the merger’s implications for future Honda and Nissan vehicles, Honda executives offered insights into potential areas of collaboration during a media roundtable at CES 2025.

Speaking at CES, Honda’s Noriya Kaihara hinted that the company might be considering its own version of the Nissan Armada. While he didn’t provide many details, Car & Driver quoted him as saying, “In the short term, especially in the U.S. market, Nissan has a large class … vehicles that we don’t have. So, if maybe we can exchange some of the vehicles, that would also be a benefit for us in the short term.”

This suggests Honda could be exploring a straightforward rebadge, giving them a contender in the full-size SUV segment against the Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Ford Expedition, Jeep Wagoneer, and Toyota Sequoia. It’s also easy to envision an Acura flagship SUV aimed at rivals like the Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator, and Lexus LX. 

Expanding the context beyond the U.S., the Armada is the other name for the Nissan Patrol which means we could see Honda put out a direct competitor to the Toyota Land Cruiser and its Lexus counterpart, the GX. Kaihara emphasized that no decisions have been made yet, stating,  "The important thing is the Honda brand is still Honda, we are not merging the brand of Nissan with Honda." meaning that for now, nothing is set in stone.

We don’t know just yet what other developments will come out of the Nissan and Honda merger as it’s still in its early stages. That said, the possibilities are definitely exciting. With the chance to combine strengths and fill gaps in each other’s lineups, there’s a lot of potential for something big.

If you want to check out the full lineup of both these brands here in the Philippines, check out the Nissan Car Guide and Honda Car Guide on AutoDeal.com.ph. Better yet, download the AutoDeal App, now available on iOS and Android, to make your car-buying experience smoother and more convenient than ever before.