Seat Arona



Seat first introduced the Arona in 2017 and since then it has sold over 400,000 of them, 45,000 in the UK alone. That's more than 10% of them sold to us Brits, making it a reasonably popular compact SUV or crossover, depending on what you want to call it. Essentially, some could easily call it a Seat Ibiza on stilts which is what it is really. Now it's received an update, much as the Ibiza has.

Test Car Specifications

Model tested: Seat Arona 1.0 TSI FR Sport DSG
Pricing: £25,110 (range from £19,600)
Engine: 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol
Transmission: Seven-speed dual clutch, front-wheel drive
Body style: five-door crossover
CO₂ emissions: 137g/km (VED Band 131-150g/km: £220 in year one, £155 years 2-5)
Combined economy: 44.1mpg
Top speed: 118mph
0-62km/h: 10.8 seconds
Power: 110hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 2,000-3,000rpm
Boot space: 400 litres

What's this?

This is the new Seat Arona, which like its hatchback twin, the Ibiza, has received an update for the end of 2021. This includes the slightest of exterior changes with a new grille and new front and rear bumpers, with more prominent fog lights. It's all about making the crossover look a bit more SUV, a bit more adventurous and according to Seat UK, a bit more youthful.

There are three new exterior colours and contrasting roof colours, but just like the Ibiza, the biggest changes are inside. This includes the fact that it now has an interior light for the rear passengers. We'd have thought this was a given, but not so, with customers pointing out that it didn't have this before and that they struggled to be able to see to strap their kids in at night.

Big changes also include more tech, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Seat Connect app that allows you to perform basic functions remotely and the option of a wireless charging pad for your phone. There's also new safety technology such as lane keeping assistance and finally cruise control is now standard across the range.

The most obvious change though is the redesign of the interior including improved materials along the top of the dash and luxurious Nappa leather on the steering wheel. There's a much clearer and more user-friendly touchscreen infotainment system with a screen size up to 10.25 inches. The Arona is now also available with Volkswagen's Virtual Cockpit display system which offers some personalisation for the digital instrument cluster. On lower spec models you'll have to add this in as an optional extra though.

What is disappointing though is that while you have some nice soft touch plastics on the front doors, those on the rear doors are some of the hardest plastics you will find on the planet. It's fine if you've got little kids and they're not going to be touching the door panels but it really just seemed like a injection-moulded piece of plastic turned out at the factory and stuck onto the door. The plastics on the top of the door sides for those up front are the same hard material too, although some softer materials are on the armrests in the doors.

How does it drive?

We drove the 1.0-litre TSI FR Sport with 110hp and 200Nm of torque, all channelled through VW's DSG dual-clutch gearbox to the front wheels. 0-62mph takes a while at 10.8 seconds and it has a top speed of 118mph. There's a choice of Eco, Normal or Sport modes, the former aiming to give you better fuel consumption and the latter providing quicker response from the accelerator and steering. It's no pocket rocket and will mostly spend its life in Normal mode, but Sport is a bit of fun when the mood grabs you.

The DSG box can be a little jerky in traffic and we found the Arona a bit slow on pull away from time to time, particularly at the point where stop/start has to kick back in and the gearbox has to wake up. This means that occasionally you have to be a little cautious on pull-away from intersections.

It's very much an urban crossover, but it cruises nicely on A-roads where the slightly firmer sports suspension of the FR models, which also sees them sit 15mm lower, still provides good levels of comfort. The engineers have also done a good job of minimising things like wind and road noise too, although with value for money a priority on the agenda, don't expect premium levels of sound deadening.

Verdict

Seat has another winner on its hands with the new Arona. The updates seem more significant on the outside than they do with the Ibiza and inside is a radical transformation, bringing it up to date with rivals. It's a huge jump in terms of technology and comfort and together with its keen pricing is a good all-rounder in the crossover segment.

Exterior Design

Interior Ambience

Passenger Space

Luggage Space

Safety

Comfort

Driving Dynamics

Powertrain