Review: Seat Arona 1.0 TSI 95BHP SE (2024)

As tested: €27,950

I have mentioned the Seat Arona many times throughout my reviews. I use it as a benchmark for fun handling in the small crossover segment. Why is this? And can the rest of the Arona keep up with the high praise I give to its dynamics?

The Looks 

The Arona does well straddling the line between being cute while still looking like a grown-up car. Pictured in “Cliff Grey”, the design is a classic Seat affair, with sharp angles and lines throughout. This face-lifted car features new front lights reminiscent of the Alpine A110. I like how they look, adding a sort of rally inspired style to the Arona. They also help to distinguish the Arona from its Volkswagen/Audi Group stables mates. I think it beats out both the Skoda Kamiq and Volkswagen T-Cross in the looks department, and while it can be argued that both those models are more grown up looking, I think they lose some individuality compared to the Arona.

The Interior 

*It’s important to note that the pre-face-lift Arona has a very different layout to this post face-lift car.*

The interior of the Arona is a mixed bag, with lots to love and some to not. Everything is as solid as you would expect from V.A.G car but some of the materials are poor. This isn’t the Arona’s fault, instead sadly a product of where the Seat brand sits in the V.A.G hierarchy, it could never be as nice as the T-Cross. The worst offender of this is the large white plastic strip going across the dash. It feels as cheap as it looks being hollow and nasty. In a similar vein, no arm rest is disappointing, I would expect it to come as standard at this point. The steering wheel is a highlight, feeling very premium and stylish, especially when compared to the wheel in the lower trim Kamiq. I do find that the stitching around the inside of the rim can be surprisingly harsh on your fingers, and for some reason Seat chose to put the volume control on one side of the wheel, and the next/last track buttons on the other. It’s not a big issue but it doesn’t very well laid out. 

The major selling point for the face-lifted Arona is its technology. Seat’s “Full Link” infotainment system is a well-designed, modern and snappy system that blows rivals such as the Nissan Juke or Renault Captur out of the water. Seat touts its abilities with the “My Seat” app, allowing for pre-selection of your destination in the car's navigation, information about the car such as fuel range, and even if the car has any issues or fault codes all done from your phone. When you do get into the car and want to connect, the system pushes heavily for the use of Android Auto or Apple Carplay. The screen itself is bright and clear, with my only complaint being the volume controls not having a dial, instead resorting to touch controls. This is paired with an 8” inch digital cockpit, which is again highly customisable, clear and responsive. Overall, it’s a very slick package, and feels like an extension of your phone. 

The Drive 

The Arona is one of the best small crossovers to drive as it gets the fundamentals right, but more importantly, it understands what this class of car really is, a slightly raised hatchback. If you drive a Suzuki Vitara for example, it’s soft and wallows around on its springs inspiring no confidence. On the other hand, the Renault Arkana which I previously reviewed attempts to be so sporty that it shakes your teeth lose when going down a rough road. The Arona finds the perfect middle ground between all this, feeling firm but forgiving with a positive feel through the wheel. You do sit lower than in some rivals, which could be seen as going against the whole point of a “crossover” but the benefits you gain are worth it. Being the best handling car in its class does not mean it has to be the stiffest. Its closest competitor is the Ford Puma, which also strives to be a fun family car, but other than that there isn’t much that can compare to the Arona. It is important to note that I am still talking about compact crossovers here, and that none of them are going to be the last word in dynamics, steering feel or driver experience, but if you must have a crossover but still want to have some fun down a twisty road, the Arona is the best choice. 

The 95hp 1.0 TSI engine is shared with lots of V.A.G products and continues to be smooth and refined in the Arona. The lack of a 6th gear is disappointing, but that is shared with all other models with this powertrain, so at least you’re not getting stiffed just because you bought the Seat. I have also driven the 115hp DSG automatic, and that is also a good drivetrain, with the quick shifts of the DSG lending itself to the sporty characteristics previously.

The Verdict

Overall, the Arona is a well-made fun to drive and surprising technologically advanced crossover, only let down some poor materials caused by the Seats low prestige in the Volkswagen/Audi Group. I would highly recommend giving it a look if you’re in this segment, not only for dynamics but also for its design and flare.