The original SEAT Arona marked the Spanish brand’s second foray into the realm of SUVs, following on from the success of its Ateca—and this small SUV doesn’t disappoint.
To keep the Arona relevant, SEAT has given the range a midlife facelift. The changes have been made primarily to the interior, which has been fitted with softer materials, a more advanced infotainment system and, in higher trim versions, digital dials.
The Arona is a little pricier than some of its peers, but still cheaper than the premium models in the small SUV category, which includes the Audi Q2, Volkswagen T-Roc and Mini Countryman. That makes the Arona pretty good value, and it also boasts a similar range of petrol engines. But before we delve too deeply into the Arona, let’s check in with its key stats.
| Brand-new price range | £22,000–£28,000 |
| Car Planet price range | £15,000–£16,000 / £285–£291 a month |
| Trims | 5 |
| Engines | 3 |
| Available fuels | Petrol |
| mpg range across all versions | 46–53 |
| Doors | 5 |
| Warranty | 3 years / 60,000 miles |
| Company car tax at 20% (min/max) | £1,200 / £1,747 |
| Company car tax at 40% (min/max) | £2,400 / £3,494 |
Equipment, options and extras
The SEAT Arona’s entry-level SE trim includes aircon, cruise control, 17in alloys, and a contrast between roof colour and metallic paint. But our favourite has to be the SE Technology, mainly for its rear parking sensors and superior infotainment system.
The FR and FR Sport trims bring enhanced styling and a few extras, like climate control and power-folding door mirrors. These are the only versions with firmer sports suspension.
Finally we have the two luxury trims, Xperience and Xperience Lux, which introduce fancier details including high-beam assist and additional parking sensors on the Lux—although we can’t recommend these, given their price tags.
Costs, insurance groups, mpg and CO2
The entry-level SEAT Arona sits at the more affordable end of the small SUV spectrum, just undercut by the Nissan Juke. But it’s not expected to hold on to its value over three years as well as its more expensive rivals, including the Ford Puma and Škoda Kamiq. That being said, most buyers won’t be purchasing with cash but rather signing up to a PCP finance deal—and in this regard the Arona offers highly competitive monthly repayments, although naturally these will vary as manufacturer promotions come and go.
The Arona also has great fuel economy, although it’s outperformed in this regard by the Puma. Nevertheless, its CO2 emissions compare well to those not only of the Puma but also of the Škoda Karoq and Volkswagen T-Cross—good to know if you’ll be paying company car tax.
Safety and security
Every SEAT Arona comes with tyre pressure monitoring and automatic emergency braking, while upgrading to the Xperience trim gets you blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert as well. The Arona also has an emergency call system, unlike its rival the Ford Puma. But disappointingly you need to upgrade to the FR trim or above to benefit from an alarm, even though this is a standard fit on many of the Arona’s competitors.
Reliability
All versions of the SEAT Arona come with a 3-year warranty of up to 60,000 miles. That’s pretty average for the market, and nowhere near as impressive as the 7-year warranty of its rival the Kia Stonic.
The Arona includes Europe-wide breakdown cover for two years, and you can pay extra to extend your warranty if you plan on keeping your Arona for longer.
The Car Planet verdict
The SEAT Arona makes for a fabulous small SUV choice, and undercuts most of its competitors on price. It’s spacious enough for most passengers, and is one of the more enjoyable cars to drive in its class. That being said, on balance we probably prefer the nimbler Ford Puma and more capacious Škoda Kamiq—but the Arona still sits high on our recommendations list.
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