Test: Seat Arona 1.5 TSI FR - small, fast, cool?

You can think what you want of SUVs and crossovers, but if you as a vehicle manufacturer rely on volume, then you simply cannot ignore this vehicle class. And that in all sizes. From small to very large - an SUV is good form. After Volkswagen and Skoda, the group subsidiary Seat is now allowed to open up the market. After the successful Ateca, SEAT is now presenting the Arona. A small SUV in the class of its little brother Ibiza. One size smaller than the Ateca. mein-auto-blog has already driven the new SEAT Arona as a 1.5 TSI in the FR version. 

Review: Seat Arona FR 1.5 TSI

Who needs four-wheel drive?

The Spanish Volkswagen subsidiary, after the Seat Ibiza, is now also able to present a small SUV in front of the other brands on the cutting-edge MQB-A0 platform. The new Arona can be found in the particularly important segment of the small SUV, the crossover in the small car segment. Other manufacturers see that you don't necessarily need all-wheel drive there. And since the Arona has the same platform as the Ibiza, all-wheel drive would not be possible. Because the Ibiza is also not available with all-wheel drive.

The new Arona shares the platform with the Ibiza, but is a bit longer (+ 8cm), almost 10 cm higher, but 4 cm narrower. With its dimensions of 4138x1735x1543mm it works then also directly more after SUV. The fact that he also offers more ground clearance with his raised seating position, should satisfy the wishes for martial appearance.

The interior is dominated by an airy sense of space. The Arona offers enough headroom and despite the somewhat lost width, you feel in the interior not constricted. His SUV talents may emphasize the little Arona with the SEAT typical design features.

Sharp visible edges alternate with massive beads. Especially at the front he leaves no doubt about where he came from. With the large (18-inch) tires of the FR top model, the Arona looks completely adult. Short overhangs, especially the rear looks crisp, support the design.

Diversity in spanish

The Arona is shown in four trim levels. The basis is the Reference model, the style is ranked above it and then come Xcellence and FR. Xcellence and FR together form the top, one the Urban-upscale version, the other is the sporty top model. The FR also gets, for now, the new 1.5 liter TSI-EVO top engine with cylinder deactivation. The 150 PS strong engine was available for a first test drive. In addition to the top engine, there are two petrol engines with 95 or 115 PS, as well as two 1.6 liter diesel engines with the choice between equally 95 and 115 PS. At the end of the year, 2018 will also be offered a natural gas (CNG) propulsion system. This will use 90 PS to power the first natural gas SUV in this class.

At present, there are again color versions which deposit the roof with contrasting lacquers. The Arona also gets this styling feature. The customer can choose the roof in one of the paint colors, or paint in gray, black or orange. Thus, 68 then exist different color combinations for the small lifestyle SUV.

This is how the 150 PS SEAT Arona FR drives

No, a small SUV is definitely not a sports fanatic. On the contrary. A little more ground clearance, a little more sensitivity when it comes to cushioning. If you are interested in a small crossover, you will probably be happy about increased suspension comfort. Actually, that's the way it is. However, we opted for the “sporty FR” for the first test drive. Simply because it is available with the new 1.5 liter TSI engine with cylinder deactivation. For the time being it is only available with a 6-speed manual transmission.

With 250 Nm, the Arona is more than adequately armed in the fight against the elements. The fact that the FR in turn comes with large wheels, 18-inch and 215 tires and is also optionally available with adaptive dampers, noticeably increases its asphalt dynamics. No - it is not a sports car, but it is clearly available for an entertaining tour overland. A modern platform is an important basis for a good car.

The fact that the 1.5 liter four-cylinder turbo does not remain imperceptible in the working noise may make deductions in terms of comfort - but, the small three-cylinder are once again significantly grumpier and more concise. When it comes to shifting, all manually operated ARONA can pull themselves together a bit, but the dual clutch automat is currently only available for the small diesel or the 115 PS petrol engine.

Fully networked in the Spaniard

When it comes to connectivity, Seat turns it up. The Spaniards in the VW Group are the first to be allowed to rely on the cloud technology of voice recognition from Amazon's Alexa. You don't forget the basics. The Arona has a state-of-the-art 8-inch touchscreen that works seamlessly with both Apple and Google smartphones via the “full-link system”. The large touchscreen also has - this will please analogue fans - two classic turn-and-push controls, which means that the loudspeaker can be changed - almost blindly - without looking closely.

Seat plays the “digital map” very convincingly and the entire integration of the digital systems fits perfectly into the small lifestyle crossover. In the coming year it will also be possible to order the ARONA (optional) with the new virtual TFT cockpit.
The Arona also plays on the same level as its big SUV brother when it comes to assistance systems. In addition to adaptive cruise control, collision warning, blind spot warning and reversing camera, it offers everything you would expect from a modern “urban vehicle”.

How much does the Spanish fun SUV cost?

The new Arona starts at 15.990 €. For this you get the reference base model with the 95 PS engine. The other end of the scale forms the FR with the 150 PS top engine, here are 23.200 € on the price tag.

Habby's conclusion:

It's the right car, at the right time - and not just for SEAT. The Arona is exactly what customers are currently looking for. This means that SEAT's success story will develop in 2018 as well as it did in 2017 - one of the best financial years SEAT has ever seen. Now we are waiting for the plug-in hybrid variants ...

engine and gears

Dimensions and performance