In recent years, Seat has cemented itself as a maker of well-equipped, well-sorted vehicles, positioned in a more wallet-friendly area of the market.
The Arona adds itself as another arrow in Seat’s quiver, further bolstering the Spanish marque’s line-up.
To get the obvious out of the way first, the Seat Arona is a product of the Volkswagen-Audi Group (VAG) parts bin. But as you’ll see in a bit, that’s hardly a bad thing.
This is because Seat is now in the custody of the Volkswagen-Audi Group (VAG), and being able to take parts that are already tested and proven means Seat doesn’t need to spend extra money developing new parts; ergo they can sell their cars for less.
While many of the internals may be carried over from elsewhere, Seat has put its own body shape on the Arona and for a compact SUV, it’s a great looking body.
Especially on the FR trim level (which stands for Formula Racing), where you get larger 18″ rims, FR badges on the outside, and chrome roof rails. The lights are LED front and rear as well.
The first major internal building block of the Arona is its powertrain. The engine is a one-litre, three-cylinder EcoTSI out of the Polo that makes 114hp and a healthy 200Nm of torque.
Couple that with the DSG dual-clutch box and you get a car with fairly decent poke that belies its meagre engine size.
Of course, it’s not rapid, with the century sprint taken care of in 10 seconds, but in everyday scenarios, such as travelling through traffic or on the highway, the beefy powerband and quick shifts are more than sufficient for the average joe.
The Arona handles just as you would expect a compact SUV to handle, that is with some body roll in the corners but a comfortable, uneventful ride everywhere else.
You don’t even have to drive it yourself if you don’t want to, the Arona comes with adaptive cruise control so you can just activate that and let the Seat Arona drive itself quietly and economically to your destination.
Fuel‑Friendliness Meets the Mini‑Engine
With its pint‑size powerplant, the Arona gifts owners a real bonus in the wallet: killer fuel economy. Our track tests hauled in a solid 14 km per litre – and that was stuffed with a lot of idling and full‑blast acceleration.
But picture yourself cruising down Main Street like a normal person; we’re pretty sure you’ll beat that figure. Seat’s own numbers brag at 20 km/l, so don’t be surprised if your real‑world mileage is somewhere in that ballpark.
Interior – Plastic Paradise?
Stepping inside, you’ll notice a generous scatter of plastic everywhere: dashboards, door panels, steering wheel, and pretty much every surface. Hard to argue with that sort of volume.
In terms of a touch of luxury, the only faux‑leather-ish element is the gear shift boot. A whisper of doubt lingers – is it real leather, or just a very convincing imitation? The truth might just stay a mystery.
The seats are also fabric but on the FR trim that our test car came in, they did get a little design on them reminiscent of the Ralliart logo.
There’s plenty of legroom and space upfront. The room in the back, while not excellent, isn’t half bad either. Interestingly enough, the Arona comes with the darkest window tint we have ever seen on a test car. In fact, we were surprised they were actually legal. Yes, they were that dark.
Now back to the VAG parts bin, that’s where the Arona has really set itself apart from other competitors that don’t have the VAG looking after them.
The Arona has the switchgear, all the buttons, an eight” centre touchscreen infotainment display, and the best one of them all, the fully digital gauge cluster.
The infotainment system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto through the USB Type C ports in the centre console which is a great additional modern touch in the Arona.
That digital gauge cluster is exactly what you get in Audis and VWs these days and it’s fantastic.
It’s configurable to display whatever you want in three different styles and is in our opinion, one of if not the best gauge clusters out there right now.
The tech fest doesn’t end there. If the adaptive cruise control wasn’t enough for you or if you’re afraid of parallel parking, don’t worry because the Arona can do it for you.
Seat has also given the Arona the Parking Assist feature as well!
What the Arona Really Brings to the Table
Not a luxury superstar, the Arona still steals the show when you look at what it actually delivers. Its solid features, slick drivetrain, and pocket‑friendly starting price make it a powerhouse that’s hard to beat.
Why It’s a Winning Choice
- Feature‑packed for the everyday driver
- Smooth power delivery feels like an upgrade every time you hit the road
- Low price tag opens the door for more folks to step into the car‑culture
Unless freckles of leather and a guilty‑pleasure hit‑heated seat are non‑negotiable items on your “must‑haves” checklist, the Arona is practically a safe bet for anyone looking for solid performance without the luxury price tag.
Specs
Price:
$115,999 (inclusive of COE)
VES Banding: A2
Performance:
Engine: 1.0 litre Inline 3-cylinder engine
Power: 114 bhp
Torque: 200 Nm
Fuel consumption: 20 km/l
0-100km/h: 10 Seconds
Drivetrain: 7 Speed DSG; Front-Wheel Drive
Brakes: Disc Brakes
Measurements:
Wheelbase: 2,566 mm
Dimensions (LxWxH): 4,138 mm x 1,780 mm x 1,552 mm
Fuel tank capacity: 40 litres
Boot capacity: 400 litres
Features:
Keyless Entry
Electric front seats
Digital cluster
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The article was first published by Motorist.
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