By Daniel Leussink and Maki Shiraki TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan may call off merger talks, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing multiple sources, a move that would pitch hard-hit Nissan into greater uncertainty.

Honda Motor Co. has sounded out Nissan Motor Co. about becoming its subsidiary, in what would be a major change to their current plan

TOKYO – Nissan Motor is prepared to reject an acquisition offer that would make it a subsidiary of Honda Motor, according to a person familiar with the matter, a move that could jeopardise talks between the two carmakers to join forces.

Makoto Uchida, Director, Representative Executive Officer, President and CEO of Nissan Motor Corporation and Toshihiro Mibe, Director, President and Representative Executive Officer of Honda, hold a joint press conference on their merger talks, in Tokyo, Japan, December 23, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo

Though both automakers envisioned a partnership in which they could save money by jointly developing new cars and vehicle software as equals, Honda's latest move shows that it feels like it is carrying some of Nissan's weight,