xcel
12-29-2007, 08:13 PM
Little car offers great mileage, efficient interior and $1,000 rebate. (http://autos.canada.com/news/story.html?id=6d025e12-5f41-461f-8f08-31eaeb872196)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2008_Fit_Sport.jpgBob McHugh - The Province – Dec. 26, 2007
Although only a review, hearing how the FE was increased seemingly overnight on the Honda’s is always a good read. -- Ed.
Order has been restored -- the 2008 Honda Fit qualifies for the federal ecoAuto $1,000 rebate. In fact, engineering changes to all five-speed manual-transmission versions of the Honda Civic as well as the Fit now qualify for the government rebate.
When our brainy bureaucrats introduced the ecoAuto rebate scheme, midway through the '07 model year, Honda's smallest and most fuel-efficient car (the Fit) didn't qualify. It was 0.1 of a litre/100 km above an arbitrary cut-off point.
To make it worse, buyers of its main competitor (0.1 of a litre/100 km under the cut-off) in the sub-compact car market received a $1,000 rebate. In the highly competitive economy car market, this was an unexpected sucker-punch for Honda.
So, with no immediate option, Honda matched the $1,000 rebate check our government was handing to buyers of a prime competitor.
"We worked very hard within an incredibly short period of time with Honda's research and development teams and our assembly facilities to make the necessary changes to allow manual transmission-equipped Fit and Civic models to qualify for the rebate program," said Jim Miller, executive vice-president of Honda Canada Inc.
"The changes that Honda Canada made to these Fit and Civic models are quite significant. However, we were able to make these engineering changes without any compromises to our full complement of standard safety features. This approach goes beyond industry and government requirements to ensure that Canadians are not forced to choose between environmental concerns or personal safety when buying a vehicle, regardless of its price or size. This is our Honda Benefit for Canadians."
By the way, Honda Canada is also currently offering a $750 gasoline card with all 2008 Fit models equipped with automatic transmissions… http://autos.canada.com/news/story.html?id=6d025e12-5f41-461f-8f08-31eaeb872196
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2008_Fit_Sport.jpgBob McHugh - The Province – Dec. 26, 2007
Although only a review, hearing how the FE was increased seemingly overnight on the Honda’s is always a good read. -- Ed.
Order has been restored -- the 2008 Honda Fit qualifies for the federal ecoAuto $1,000 rebate. In fact, engineering changes to all five-speed manual-transmission versions of the Honda Civic as well as the Fit now qualify for the government rebate.
When our brainy bureaucrats introduced the ecoAuto rebate scheme, midway through the '07 model year, Honda's smallest and most fuel-efficient car (the Fit) didn't qualify. It was 0.1 of a litre/100 km above an arbitrary cut-off point.
To make it worse, buyers of its main competitor (0.1 of a litre/100 km under the cut-off) in the sub-compact car market received a $1,000 rebate. In the highly competitive economy car market, this was an unexpected sucker-punch for Honda.
So, with no immediate option, Honda matched the $1,000 rebate check our government was handing to buyers of a prime competitor.
"We worked very hard within an incredibly short period of time with Honda's research and development teams and our assembly facilities to make the necessary changes to allow manual transmission-equipped Fit and Civic models to qualify for the rebate program," said Jim Miller, executive vice-president of Honda Canada Inc.
"The changes that Honda Canada made to these Fit and Civic models are quite significant. However, we were able to make these engineering changes without any compromises to our full complement of standard safety features. This approach goes beyond industry and government requirements to ensure that Canadians are not forced to choose between environmental concerns or personal safety when buying a vehicle, regardless of its price or size. This is our Honda Benefit for Canadians."
By the way, Honda Canada is also currently offering a $750 gasoline card with all 2008 Fit models equipped with automatic transmissions… http://autos.canada.com/news/story.html?id=6d025e12-5f41-461f-8f08-31eaeb872196