Honda May Cut Safety Equipment in Canada To Qualify For Energy Rebate

Honda Canada Inc. is "seriously considering" stripping some life-saving safety equipment out of the smallest car it sells in Canada to meet new federal fuel efficiency ratings.

The Honda Fit does not qualify for a $1,000 rebate under the new rules, announced in the federal budget two weeks ago, while the Yaris, produced by arch-rival Toyota, does.

The difference can be explained by the extra air bags, side curtains, antilock brakes and other equipment the Fit has, but the Yaris does not, says Jim Miller, executive vice-president of Honda Canada.

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jt716 - 4/9/2007 11:33:30 AM

+6 Boost

They shouldn't do that let people get killed in the stupid Yaris just to get a $1000 rebate. Life is better then money.The Yaris is anyway one of the worse cars Toyota makes in my opinion. Safety is first I would rather go for a Fit anyway
(deboost me all u want fan boys)

indifferent - 4/9/2007 12:30:23 PM

+4 Boost

i see the canadian government stepping in and revising the rebate. Safety probably is on their minds also

truckmen - 4/10/2007 5:08:51 AM

+1 Boost

First off the fit is a mistake to begin with! The Civic is far superior with basically identical fuel consumption and the Civic weighs 200 pounds more than the fit, and the civic has 140hp where the fit only produces 100 and eight ish! Did honda have an inventory of inferior engines that they wanted to get rid of? The biggest mistake of Honda is why didn't they make a civic wagon? Taking out the safety equipement is not the answer! The fit is not as safe as the Civic! What gives Honda? Isn't it obious that the fit is inferior to the larger safer civic with the same highway fuel consumption and just slightly better city mielage?

truckmen - 4/11/2007 6:15:56 AM

+1 Boost

I bet the mielage would improve if they replaced the motor in the fit with the civic's larger more powerful engine! Why do they even use the engine that is in the fit?

truckmen - 4/15/2007 4:40:29 AM

+1 Boost

The most important point here is why make an unsafe car even more dangerous? I guess if you died you would no longer need that tax ensentive.