SEAT Arona review: Baby SUV is perfect for pothole-ridden British roads – and it won’t embarrass the kids on the school run
SEAT is back making cool cars that'll impress the whole family. And at £20,000 the Arona is a serious contender in the crowded small SUV market
AFTER an uncertain period, SEAT seems to have finally hit its stride again.
Once slated as the yoof-friendly darling of Volkswagen Group, it has historically offered a hotchpotch line-up of bland city cars and fuddy-duddy people carriers and saloons.
But all that changed recently when the Spanish marque completely overhauled its Leon and Ibiza range, also introducing the brilliant Ateca SUV to the world.
Seat has also revealed a baby SUV that will rival similarly funky offerings from Citroen, Kia and Renault.
Badged Arona, this compact, city-friendly SUV sits on VW Group’s latest A0 MQB platform, which was first introduced – to some acclaim – in the new Ibiza.
It means the Arona rides phenomenally well over our terrible roads and proves quite fun when thrown into a few corners.
A small, simple range of engines is offered, starting with a 1-litre TSI petrol engine and swelling to a 1.6-litre TDI diesel.
There is also a punchy 1.5-litre TSI Evo petrol in the FR Sport models.
Although not overly powerful, the smallest petrol unit surprises with its ability to get up to speed.
It is eerily quiet too.
Tipping the scales at around 1,200kg, the Arona feels light and agile.
Key facts
SEAT ARONA TSI
Price: £19,895
Engine: 1-litre turbo petrol
Economy: 56.5mpg
CO2: 113g/km
0-62mph: 10 seconds
Top speed: 113mph
Length: 4.1m
A well-judged suspension system negates the body-roll sensation typically found in these high-riding soft-roaders.
Also, the miniature crossover manages to pull off a Tardis trick insofar as it will happily swallow five adults, despite being no larger than many rival hatchbacks.
An adjustable boot floor means there is up to 400 litres of space for stuff in the back.
There is plenty of top tech inside too, with a neat 8in touchscreen available on mid-range models upwards and even a wireless charging pad for your phone.
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I am not 100 per cent sold on the exterior, however, which can look a little plain in some colours and trims.
And this is one crossover that definitely won’t enjoy going off the beaten path.
But it is very good at what it does and is certainly one of the best little SUVs in what is currently a very crowded market.
It is further proof that Seat is on a roll – and is back producing stuff to make those hip kids in Barcelona proud again.