This road test puts me into a car that many of you probably don’t even realise exists! This is a car that sits very quietly in the shadows of many other cars on the road, and I doubt that some of you have ever seen it on the road yet. Well the reason for this is that while most of you will go with what’s currently in fashion, and what’s hip, there are some of you out there like me that need a car to do exactly what it says on the tin – and the new Seat Arona is exactly that sort of car – so get your head down and read on.
Power and Efficiency:
The Arona I currently have on test is powered by a 115PS, 1.6 TDI – four-cylinder diesel engine with a 6-speed manual gearbox and a respectable top speed of around 115mph, plus a 0-62 time of 10.3 seconds. Fuel consumption is also very good with a combined figure of 65.7 mpg.
On the road:
I like the way the Arona handles – it feels very well balanced. Also, when the road gets twisty it’s more than capable of holding its own. The steering also feels light and agile – and when you hook all this up to its fantastic 6-speed gearbox – you really can’t go wrong, and It’s no exaggeration for me to say that I think the Arona is the better car here when you compare it to some of its rivals.
Interior & Technology
As with all Seat’s, the interior is of a good standard – but, as I have said many times, Seat is a part of VW group, so it will last for years. The seating is actually rather good even after a long journey, and the dials and switches are laid out very well and are very clear and precise.
Some of the standard equipment across the range includes; bi-colour roof, halogen front headlights, front fog lights with cornering function, LED daytime running lights (DRLs), LED tail-lights, rear fog lights, black roof rails , body-coloured door handles, electrically adjustable door mirrors, FM/AM radio, DAB (digital audio broadcasting), six speakers, bluetooth, colour: 6.5″ colour touchscreen + USB port + aux-in, dimming interior rear view mirror, interior ambient lighting , interior chrome pack, air conditioning, electric front and rear windows, cruise control, auto-headlights, comfort suspension, driver and front passenger airbags, front side and curtain airbags, active front head restraints, anti-lock brake system (ABS), electronic stability control (ESC) with emergency brake assist (EBA) and hill hold control.
Plus it doesn’t stop there either – as this is the SE Technology Lux version, you also get additional features such as; Beats audio: 300w subwoofer, 18″ space-saving spare wheel, luggage compartment lining, heated front seats, heated washer nozzles, adaptive cruise control and KESSY (keyless entry and go).
To sum up:
I’m going to give the Arona five stars in this test (which is rare for me), not only because I like it a lot – but because I believe it’s worth every penny. Next time you are out looking for a new compact SUV, try looking that little bit harder because as I have shown here today, the Arona is a brilliant buy.
Price: from £20,455.
