SEAT

Arona

The SEAT Arona is a five-door compact SUV that boasts cutting edge styling, a wealth of on-board technology and all the practicality options to meet the needs of an active family. It is also economically priced.

The good

Practical, stylish, fun to drive and economically priced

The bad

Competing against tough opposition

Tech Specs

Price from

£16,555

Combined Fuel up to

70.6mpg

0-62 from

8.3 seconds

max speed up to

127mph

co2 from

105g/km

Test Drive

SEAT Arona 1.0 TSI FR 110PS manual (2022)

Making a mark and getting noticed in the ever-growing and fiercely competitive crossover sector is never easy with manufacturers vying for sales.

But one company that does very well in this area is SEAT and the Arona is another fine example of that success story. And to add to its appeal, the car has just undergone a mid-generation facelift with some extra tech and improved design cues being introduced.

With its punchy, yet efficient engines, along with great handling and distinctive styling, the Spanish model draws on all the expertise from its parent VW Group, yet keeps its prices attractive for customers along the way.

We tested the five-door Arona powered by a three-cylinder, 1.0-litre petrol engine delivering 110PS and 200Nm of torque. It cost £23,350 and could reach 62mph from a standing start in a very respectable 10.6 seconds. It topped out at 118mph and achieved a combined 53.3mpg with carbon emissions of 121g/km.

Despite its little three-pot engine, the Arona is quick off the mark and delivers ample power when faced with the open road. It’s nicely grounded through twisting lanes and can cruise with ease at 70mph on motorways. The engine does get a little more vocal when pushed hard but it still copes well.

With its elevated seating position there is excellent all-round driver visibility, which makes the Arona ideal for city motoring too with cars, pedestrians and cyclists darting out from all angles.

The flat-bottomed steering wheel – carrying the FR logo – is beautifully weighted with ample driver feedback and there are drive modes to flick through that alter the performance and reactions of the car. These are called Eco, Normal, Sport and Individual. No prizes for guessing which is the most fun when unleashed on the quieter B roads.

Our Arona FR looked modern and dynamic in its design – it is one of the areas where SEAT truly excels with its own individual styling. Eye-catching features include a distinctive front grille, twin tail pipes, chrome roof rails, dark tinted rear windows and 17-inch Dynamic alloy wheels.

Move inside and the interior is spacious and well equipped with front sports seats, leather coverings to the steering wheel, gear stick and handbrake, a soft-touch dashboard, illuminated red air vents, dual zone climate control and interior ambient lighting.

Creature comforts are plentiful too with a 9.2-inch colour infotainment system with Bluetooth audio streaming, Wireless Full Link smartphone connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav, DAB digital radio, a six-speaker sound system and plenty more besides.

All the on-board tech is easy to operate on the fly and the separate climate control panel is another plus point. It feels like the Arona has been designed to offer all the little luxuries we expect these days but without over-complicating everything in the process. And that means the driver is less distracted and can concentrate on the important job in hand – driving.

There is enough room for a couple of passengers in the back of the Arona if the front seats are not pushed too far back. Add a third and it gets a little too cosy, but it would be ideal for three children to travel in comfort.

The boot can swallow 400 litres of kit – a limit that is increased to 823 litres with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats dropped flat.

And there are plenty of storage options throughout the cabin too, including a glovebox, front and rear door bins, a wireless charging pad, quite shallow front cup holders that are not that practical and a non-slip tray.

When you factor in the full array of safety features, the SEAT Arona is quite the all-round package for anyone looking for a compact family car that offers all the mod cons, delivers on the driving front and won’t break the bank in the process.

Test Drive

SEAT Arona – first drive (2018) 

Decisions, decisions – the choices we face when buying a new car can be a daunting process with the complexity of choosing colour, engine, trim level, transmissions, optional this and additional that – and then all of a sudden that initial price-tag seems to have escalated by several hundred or, as is often the case, several thousand pounds.

In fairness some manufacturers have attempted to ease the pain by drastically reducing the number of optional extras available on a car (the Kia brand springs to mind), but the launch of the all-new SEAT Arona takes this philosophy to a whole new level. There are no optional extras – if you want additional kit, you simply step up to the next trim level.

The Arona is the Spanish marques second SUV to emerge and follows in the tracks of its larger sibling the SEAT Ateca. It’s a compact crossover so will compete in the UK’s fastest growing segment against such opposition as the Nissan Juke, Renault Captur, Peugeot 2008 and indeed the all-new Kia Stonic.

The Arona, which is designed and engineered in Barcelona, is competitively priced ranging from £16,555 to £24,435 and comes in six richly equipped trim levels called SE, SE Technology, FR, FR Sport, Xcellence and range-topping Xcellence Lux.

Buyers can choose from a range of engines to power their five-door, front-wheel-drive Arona. Petrol units are a 1.0-litre 95PS, 1.0-litre 115PS (with manual or auto gearbox) and 1.5-litre EVO 150PS. If diesel is the fuel preference then the Arona is available with a 1.6-litre 95PS engine (with both transmissions) or a 1.6-litre 115PS variant.

SEAT is aiming to simplify the buying process making it as pain-free as possible so the customer has three important decisions to make. First, they must select the trim, then the engine and finally the colour. Then they can sit back, relax and wait for the delivery date.

The Arona is a sharp dressed, striking looking car with plenty of road presence. It looks athletic with bold lines and eye-catching creases, a rising waistline, sweeping light clusters, contrast roof colours, roof rails, tinted windows, smart alloys plus model specific design cues such as sporty FR grille, bumpers and interior trim on FR models with more elegant and sophisticated detailing on Xcellence versions of the car.

Move inside and the interior is richly equipped with all the latest infotainment systems and, depending on spec level, you can expect to find either a five (SE models only) or eight-inch touchscreen. Other creature comforts include MirrorLink with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, a Beats sound system, sat nav, wireless charging, DAB digital radio, keyless entry and go, cruise control, Bluetooth, heated seats and lots more besides.

SEAT predicts that the vast majority of Arona buyers will be new to the brand and it also believes the most popular model will be powered by the tiny three-cylinder, 1.0-litre 115PS petrol engine. So we tested that powertrain mated to a six-speed manual gearbox in FR Sport spec priced at £20,665 and it has plenty of all-round appeal.

The cabin is bright and clutter-free in its layout with a modern feel to it. There is ample seat and steering wheel adjustment so it’s easy to get comfortable  and the elevated driving position results in good all-round visibility. All the dials and readouts are ideally positioned for ease of use and the smart infotainment set-up is beautifully simple to operate or programme on the move.

The Arona is also deceptively spacious with enough room for couple of tall adults to travel in the back with generous levels of leg, head and shoulder space and, in addition, the boot is well-sized too with a capacity ranging from 400 litres to 823 litres with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats dropped flat. Another practical touch is the double boot floor which comes as standard across the line-up and, in its raised position, reduces the lip at the entrance of the boot which in turn simplifies the process of loading awkwardly-shaped or heavy items.

The test car could sprint from 0-62mph in 9.8 seconds and maxed out at 113mph. According to official figures, it could deliver combined fuel economy of 56.5mpg with carbon emissions of 114g/km.

There was a day when three-cylinder engines were a tad lacking in the firepower department, but not so this unit. It fizzed round town and then when faced with the open road there were generous levels of power and zip to push on through the country lanes. The ride was grounded and sure-footed with a little engine noise only becoming noticeable at higher speeds. Even on the motorway, the 1.0-litre engine delivered all the power and acceleration needed to keep pace with fast-moving traffic.

Next up was the 1.5-litre TSI Evo 150PS engine complete with active cylinder deactivation technology that is exclusive to the FR trim. This means the fourth cylinder can be shut down when not needed to improve efficiency.

Once again, the six-speed manual Arona, costing £22,040, delivered a competent all-round performance and the extra power and bite was particularly noticeable when being driven hard on faster roads. This car was also faster and could sprint to 62mph from a standing start in 8.3 seconds, redlined at 127mph and delivered combined fuel efficiency of 55.4mpg with CO2 emissions of 115g/km.

A SEAT driver profile facility is fitted to FR, FR Sport and the Excellence Lux trims which offers four different driving modes called Normal, Sport, Eco and Individual that alter the car’s handling and driving dynamics.

When it comes to safety, the SEAT Arona has been awarded the maximum five stars in the Euro NCAP tests and boasts as standard the likes of Front Assist, multi-collision braking system, stability control, hill hold control and a driver fatigue system.

All in all, the SEAT Arona is a welcome arrival into the compact SUV segment – a sector that is bursting at the seams, but still struggling to keep up with buyer demand. But, be warned, the Spanish marque is not stopping there and has already announced plans for a full-sized seven-seater SUV by the end of this year.