Nissan Honda merger!

This move might sink both brands - would we miss them though? Both have been ailing in the Irish market for years now.

Honda is disappointing. I have fond memories of my 2007 Honda Fit from years ago (I was living abroad at the time, it was not a Japanese Fit - it’s actually a Honda Jazz in South Africa). I also drove a fabulous Accord in the USA for a few weeks. I love Honda, they are practical, reliable, and just great cars. While I like Toyota, I love Honda. They’re much nicer and more refined compared to Toyota.

However, the prices are just too expensive. I’d be willing to pay 4 or 5k more for a Honda than what I paid for my Corolla, but here, a Civic hatchback is a little over 50k, while the Corolla hatchback is 34k. There’s no doubt the Civic delivers more than the Corolla and is much more modern, but the price is a dealbreaker.

I am hoping that with this fusion more well priced Honda-like cars can come to Ireland. Paying 33-34k for a Honda Jazz is a joke.

Honda are a great company but in Europe utterly overpriced. The civic is too big now and is more a Skoda Octavia than the neat car it used to be with lots of body styles.
Nissan have lost their way completely, they failed to keep up which is unfortunate as they were recent pioneers first to market with mass market electric car in the Leaf, and crossover SUV with the Quosqhui. I find their interiors really let them down and have lost out completely to the Koreans in that mass market space. Why would you buy a Nissan when you can have a Toyota? Generally much better and up to date models

I like the sound of "NSX-GTR"

Honda did not wish to own Rover Group outright. Japanese companies mostly prefer organic growth rather than to buy another manufacturer. They acquired a 20 per cent stake in the company while British Aerospace owned them and seemed happy out with that arrangement.

BMW purchased Rover Group in 1994 and that pissed Honda off big time. Honda were not willing to rival BMW in a bid for full ownership.

I agree, I always thought it rather bizarre that an aeroplane company owned the group myself. They are two quite different industries.

I suppose it was a sweetheart deal in the first place. Land Rover was probably worth more than the price paid for the group as a whole.

It is interesting to think what might have happened if Rover and Honda kept their partnership going. Maybe Rover would still be around in some form and Honda would not be teetering on exit from Europe. I know Honda's sales in Ireland are not really worthwhile at around 200 registrations per year. I notice the dealer in Wicklow (who also sell Subaru) have given up on the franchise. Clonskeagh Motors as well seem to be dependent on used car sales due to the current mediocre performance of the Honda brand in the Irish market.

I didn't realise. It isn't surprising really.

All cars are getting massive now not just Honda. I got a loaner of a new Corsa a few days ago, I was looking around the yard for a Corsa when the lights flashed on an Astra sized car. EU safety regulations have made cars big.

Nissan seems to be always failing and it's previous attempts to save itself obviously didn't succeed, maybe it needs to die.

Can we get a K20 in Micra?

They should bring back Datsun.

To paraphrase Super Hans, people like Ed Sheeran and voted for Brexit, you can't trust people.

Nissans failure to move away from chademo EV charging along with a limited presence in the Hybrid market has put them in this spot.

Honda are in real danger of pricing themselves off the market