Canada: mileage over safety.

Canada: They may want to revist this rebate offer.

Honda of 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 that the Fit has but the Yaris does not, says Jim Miller, executive vice-president of Honda Canada. "If we stripped all that out it would qualify," Miller told a University of Windsor marketing class. "But $1,000 for a human life?" The Fit consumes 6.5 litres of fuel every 100 km, which is the cutoff point for the new federal incentive to buy fuel-efficient cars. The Yaris consumes 6.3 l/km and qualifies for the money.

Via Tim Blair.