Honda Fit gets new color for 2013, base price stays the same

The 2013 Honda Fit carries a base sticker price of $16,115 including $790 destination—the same as that of the 2012 model—when it arrives in dealerships on Tuesday.

Changes for 2013 consist of a new exterior color, named midnight plum pearl. The orange burst metallic paint is canceled.

The Fit got a full redesign for the 2012 model year, so changes are minimal. It continues with a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder engine making 117 hp and 106 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed manual is standard and a five-speed automatic is optional. Fuel mileage is rated at 27 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway in the manual version.

The body and the chassis remain unchanged, with MacPherson struts in front and an H-shaped torsion beam in back. Sixteen-inch rims are standard on the Fit Sport, while the base car gets racy—Honda's words—five-spoke wheel covers.

The most useful function of the Fit is its patented Magic Seat, which is a 60/40 split rear seat that folds flat into the floor, providing almost 60 cubic feet of cargo space.

Other standard features include air conditioning, a 160-watt stereo with USB port and power accessories—windows, locks and mirrors. Honda's Satellite-Linked Navigation System with voice recognition is optional.

Honda sold about 4,500 copies of the Fit in June, on par with the Ford Fiesta but a good bit less than the Chevrolet Sonic, which tallied 6,785 sales.

By Jake Lingeman