Japanese auto giants Honda and Nissan confirmed they've scrapped merger talks announced in December​, ending a potential combination that would have created the world's third-largest automaker.

With the Nissan-Honda merger officially dead, Nissan is now moving forward with its own restructuring plan.That means deep job cuts, plant closures, and a more aggressive approach to development cycles as the company attempts to regain stability.

Nissan and Honda ended merger talks to forge a $60 billion car company on Thursday, pitching Nissan deeper into uncertainty and highlighting the pressure on legacy automakers from Chinese rivals upending the industry.