Honda's CEO said it was "difficult" to explain why Nissan would make a good business partner. Analysts believe that Honda's ideal partner for a merger would be a more "healthy and financially sound company.

In a news conference on Monday, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said the companies needed greater scale to compete in the development of new technologies in electric vehicles and intelligent driving. A business integration would give the companies an “edge that ...

Japan's Honda and Nissan said Monday they had embarked on formal merger talks that would create the third-largest car manufacturer globally with sales of as much as $191.4 billion and more than $19 billion profit.