Honda could be preparing to enter the highly competitive dual-cab ute market with a new model based on the Mitsubishi Triton, according to reports from Japan. Japanese newspaper Yomiuri has reported that Honda is planning to introduce a rebadged version of the Triton as early as 2028, with Southeast Asia likely the primary market for the new model.

The move would allow Honda to fill a large hole in its line-up in the region and compete against big-selling rivals such as the Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max. Crucially in today’s market, sharing the Triton would allow Honda to sell a new ute but without the considerable expense of developing it entirely from scratch.

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While details remain unconfirmed, the new ute would reportedly be manufactured alongside the Triton at Mitsubishi’s Thai factory and would share much of its mechanical underpinnings. That could mean the Honda ute would adopt the Triton’s 150kW/470Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder bi-turbo diesel engine, giving the brand a vehicle with a 3500kg braked trailer towing capacity and genuine off-road ability for the first time.

Our speculative renders (pictured above) imagine how a Honda-badged Triton could look, combining the Mitsubishi’s body with a Honda-inspired front end and revised rear styling.

Honda wouldn’t be the first Japanese manufacturer to take advantage of the latest Triton, as Nissan has already introduced the new-generation Navara in Australia and New Zealand, which is almost identical to the Mitsubishi model. But it also wouldn’t be Honda’s only ute globally as it also currently sells the Ridgeline in North America, though that uses a car-based platform and not a ladder-frame chassis.

A Mitsubishi-based model would therefore give Honda a more conventional ute capable of competing in markets where diesel-powered, body-on-frame pickups remain popular, such as Southeast Asia and, of course, down under.

Whether the new ute actually comes to fruition and is sold in Australia remains unclear, but we think it’s a no-brainer considering that the Triton still sells well locally. Neither brand has officially confirmed the project, but reports suggest that it will enter production from 2028.