SEAT Arona - Interior, design and technology

SEAT is hoping that the Arona will attract buyers from not only the supermini class, but also from those who fancy a slightly higher driving position and a style-focused approach over a run-of-the-mill family hatchback. As such, the Arona gets plenty of equipment as standard and a few key design features often included only on the options list.

Every car sold in the UK comes with metallic paint included, as well as the option of a contrasting colour on the roof. There are nine body colours and three hues for the roof, allowing for easy personalisation. Oddly, every Arona also gets an ‘X’ motif on the rearmost roof pillar behind the rear door. It makes sense on Xperience or Xperience Lux editions, but is a bit more confusing on other versions.

The facelifted Arona now includes front fog lamps (on FR trim and above) positioned high next to the new grille and daytime running lights. At the rear, there’s a spoiler, faux-diffuser and an Arona badge that looks hand-written. Inside, the level of perceived quality has improved with soft-touch materials across the dashboard, although newer rivals such as the Renault Captur have plusher materials used in more areas, such as the padded armrests on the rear door cards for those in the back. As part of the revisions, a leather-trimmed steering wheel is standard, while FR models and above have LED lighting around the outer air vents on the dash.

Most Aronas come with 17-inch alloy wheels as standard, although there are different designs to help you distinguish between SE, FR and Xperience trims. FR Sport and Xperience Lux variants get larger 18-inch wheels.

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The range has its limits, though. You get rather plain cloth covering on the seating in SE and SE Technology editions, while FR and FR Sport have more sculptured seats featuring red flashes for a sportier look. But even the luxury spec, Xperience, doesn’t go to the lengths of full leather upholstery; there’s just a bit of contrast stitching and a slightly more complex fabric pattern. At least FR Sport and Xperience Lux have a grippy Alcantara-style material on their seats.

Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment

All Arona versions, except the SE, include a 9.2-inch touchscreen. The tablet-style display is now positioned higher up on the dash, and is easier to use on the move.

The infotainment display is sharp, with clear graphics and smartphone app-style buttons at the bottom of the screen. Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay are standard across the range, while wireless phone charging is standard from SE Technology and above.

All Aronas come with a digital instrument cluster. It’s a basic eight-inch display across the range, while FR Sport and Xperience Lux come with a larger 10.25-inch display that’s fully configurable, much like Audi’s virtual cockpit. 

The standard six-speaker sound system provides reasonably clear sound quality, but audiophiles must look towards the Ford Puma, Hyundai Kona, Nissan Juke or Volkswagen T-Roc if they want an upgradable sound system.