Nissan was deep in trouble late last year when rival Honda offered a lifeline: a $60 billion tie-up that would help both Japanese automakers compete against the Chinese brands upending the car industry.

Japanese automaker Nissan (NSANY) finds itself at a crossroads. Nissan was poised to participate in a megamerger with rival Honda (HMC), and it was a huge development when the talks were revealed late last year.

Japan's Nissan Motor is open to working with new partners including even technology firms after merger talks with cross-town rival Honda Motor foundered, people familiar with the automaker's thinking have said.