New SEAT Arona: revamped with a rugged look

The new SEAT Arona is ready to continue its success story for the brand, three years after its introduction in 2017.

Since then, the urban SUV has sold more than 350,000 vehicles globally and established itself as a key pillar of the brand’s range. With a revamped, rugged visual and a digital transformation within the cabin, the new Arona is set to remain a staple in the segment.  

“The urban SUV market has grown significantly and the SEAT Arona’s adaptability makes it an enormously important model for the company,” said Wayne Griffiths, President of SEAT and CUPRA. “The updated Arona adds even more functionality, both digital and safety-focused, in a revised form inside and out.”

In an increasingly digitised world, the SEAT Arona is ready to bring customers’ connected lives into the cabin. The addition of a huge range of intuitive functionality, combined with a revamped design that includes ambient lighting (FR and Xperience trims only) and a larger floating-screen infotainment system, brings a heightened sense of modernity and quality to the interior and a bold new personality.

Under the bonnet, four different petrol powertrains between 90PS and 150PS are available, linked to either manual or DSG dual-clutch transmissions.

With a range of new driver assistance systems that make driving the urban SUV more relaxing in any environment, the SEAT Arona is ready for any challenge thrown its way.

Designed, developed and produced in Barcelona, at SEAT’s headquarters in Martorell, the new SEAT Arona will enter production in the third quarter of the year.

The SEAT Arona’s exterior design is refreshed to deliver an even greater rugged and robust aesthetic.

From the front, the Arona’s distinct, three-dimensional look is enhanced by the new hot-stamped grille designs – while the front bumper in Reflex Silver and newly designed and positioned foglamps enhance the rugged character.

There’s a change to the trims available, now: SE, SE Technology, FR, FR Sport, Xperience and Xperience Lux (replacing Xcellence).

The SEAT Arona exterior lighting shifts to 100% LED technology as standard – Eco LEDs are standard on SE and SE Technology trims, upgradable to Full LEDs which are standard on FR models upwards. The new LEDs reinforce the front design cues while also offering better visibility with lower energy consumption.

The customer can choose between three new alloy wheel designs – one new 17” and two 18” options – that enhance the side profile.

The new Arona has an enriched palette of 10 exterior colours, including three new choices: Dark Camouflage, Asphalt Blue and Sapphire Blue, while there are three roof colours (Midnight Black, Magnetic Tech and the new Candy White) that give a distinct character to every car.

At the rear, the introduction of a new spoiler and diffuser add further differentiation and youthful look, while the model’s name in embossed handwritten lettering on the rear, together with the new SEAT logo in two-tone chrome finish, round off the distinct new look.

The interior design continues the model’s new character and enhances the spaciousness of the cabin, while giving a heightened sense of quality throughout.

Improved ergonomics are characterised by a completely new soft dashboard, which features a larger, floating central infotainment system – a generous 8.25” screen as standard, or 9.2” on SE Technology models upwards – that is placed in an elevated position comfortable for the driver’s line of sight.

Combined with a clear 10.25” Digital Cockpit (FR Sport and Xperience Lux models only), that is linked to a new ergonomic multifunction Nappa leather steering wheel, the interior of the new Arona is fully digital, practical and sleeker than ever.

The Arona’s lustrous character is enhanced further with the use of lighting technology to illuminate newly-designed air vents, with different colours available depending on the trim – Daring Red for FR trim and Aran Green for Xperience.

Rear seat passengers now benefit from roof-mounted interior lights.

The boot’s total capacity remains 400 litres and the load area offers more practicality than simply space. A double floor makes the rear even more versatile, while four metal hooks allow a net to be used to secure anything placed in the back.

The SEAT Arona is fully connected with in-car and out-car connectivity, including wireless Full Link integration and SEAT CONNECT.

With the integration of the wireless Full Link system, customers can easily access their digital lives via Apple CarPlay or (wired) Android Auto, adding to the Arona’s intuitive and secure infotainment system and integrated steering wheel controls that don’t distract drivers from the road.

The infotainment system delivers an even richer experience, with everything from media to traffic information available at the touch of a button or via voice recognition.

The Arona now includes SEAT CONNECT, giving users access to a range of remote services that help maximise the driving and ownership experience.

Users can remotely access their vehicle’s data; driving data, parking position, vehicle’s status including doors and lights, set-up speed alerts so you can be warned if someone using your vehicle is driving too quickly, area and anti-theft alerts, opening and closing of the doors with the remote lock and unlock service, or remotely activating the horn and turn signals to find the car more easily.

The new SEAT Arona also integrates SEAT CONNECT with a built-in eSIM, which allows drivers to easily contact SEAT services while adding a layer of security via the eCall service, which directly contacts emergency services in the case of an incident.

New Driver Assistance Systems, such as Travel Assist* deliver semi-automatic driving though a combination of Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Lane Assist.

New Side Assist technology makes changing lanes safer, with front and rear-facing radars monitoring the vehicle’s blind spots to alert the driver if there are vehicles in the vicinity, should they want to change lanes. Newly introduced Traffic Sign Recognition technology ensures drivers always know what the speed limit is on any given road, making the SEAT Arona even safer.

Finally, the new Arona also features Park Assist, which effortlessly parks the car for the driver automatically.

Under the bonnet, the new Arona will offer four different petrol (TSI) powertrains with outputs ranging from 95PS to 150PS, linked to either manual or DSG dual-clutch transmissions.

All petrol engines are equipped with turbo, direct-injection technology, with three 1.0 EcoTSI options available and a larger 1.5 EcoTSI.

The 1.0 TSI 95PS unit, linked to a five-speed manual transmission, provides 175Nm of torque. The final three-cylinder unit delivers 110PS/200Nm and is linked to either a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission.

The largest option in the range is the four-cylinder 1.5 EcoTSI. With an output of 150PS/250Nm, it balances its strong performance with impressive efficiency.