SEAT Arona (2025 - ) review

The lack of electrification for the Seat Arona engines is emphasised by its high CO2 emissions figures, so it won’t appeal to company car buyers keeping an eye on their Benefit In Kind tax. However, for those that cover relatively low mileage, the petrol engines won’t be especially thirsty – even the top-of-the-range 1.5-litre option should manage 40mpg on average, and the less expensive 1.0-litre engine is more economical for pootling about. These engines should come with modest maintenance costs, too. Even better news is that the Arona is one of the more affordable small SUVs in the sector, competing head-on with the Renault Captur, and undercutting others, such as the Skoda Kamiq, Ford Puma and Volkswagen T-Cross.

Seat’s three-year warranty isn’t the most generous in the business, certainly when compared with Hyundai’s five-year, unlimited mileage equivalent – or indeed Kia’s seven-year offering. The Arona’s warranty is capped at 60,000 miles after the first two years of ownership. Nonetheless, the hope is of course that an owner will never have to call on the warranty, and on that score the Seat Arona does well. In spite of several updates in its lifecycle, the mechanicals and electrics are effectively unchanged, meaning they’re tried and tested components shared with lots of other cars throughout the Volkswagen Group.

It has been a few years since the Seat Arona was put through a benchmarking safety assessment by the EuroNCAP, but buyers should still be reassured by its strong showing in the 2022 tests and there’s not a lot to choose between small SUVs at this price point when it comes to safety. As part of the 2025 update, the Arona range was simplified meaning the suite of safety features is standard across the board. Hence even the entry-level car has automatic headlights and wipers, plus rear parking sensors, cruise control, lane assist and a host of other functions bundled within the “Safe & Driving Pack”. The expected two ISOFIX points for child seats are in the back, but none in the front.

Getting comfortable in the driver’s seat is easy in the Arona as there’s a wide range of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel. The 2025 changes brought with them a tactile new wheel, with authentic leather trim, while the seat upholstery was also upgraded. Go for one of the FR specifications and there are figure-hugging “bucket seats” up front, which are wonderfully supportive over a long journey. They’re heated as well, and the FR cars also feature dual-zone climate control. Unfortunately, the larger wheels fitted to those mean slightly less comfort over rough surfaces, and a little more road noise, though in general the Arona offers a good blend of comfort and body control, and it is one of the better-to-drive small SUVs, comparing well with the Ford Puma.

A substantial change for the Arona from 2025 on is its reduced model lineup, making the buyer’s life easier when it comes to choosing the car that suits them and their budget. There are just four trim levels: SE, SE Tech, FR First Edition and FR Sport. The base SE car makes do with the entry-level 8.25-inch touchscreen, while the others get a slightly larger display featuring sat-nav and online connected services. It responds quickly to touch and is easy to find your way around, though we suspect most people will make use of the wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto anyway. Shame the wireless charging pad is only fitted to the top-spec Arona. That also gets a bigger set of digital instruments in front of the driver, which are customisable for different views. Alongside all this tech, we’re glad to see Seat sticking with plenty of physical buttons. The Arona even still has a traditional handbrake.

The sporty looking FR specification can be had with a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol engine producing up to 150 horsepower. That doesn’t turn the Arona into a high-performance car, but it is more than sufficient for a small SUV and this engine is smoother and quieter than the 1.0-litre alternative. However, the latter is actually a little more fun, as it’s keener to respond and makes a throaty sound when you push it on. The 115-horsepower engine works particularly well with the seven-speed automatic gearbox, which comes with gearchange paddles behind the steering wheel in FR specification. A manual gearbox is available, too, but only in conjunction with the 1.0-litre engine. Buyers of the FR model will also benefit from selectable driving modes, but other than slightly sharper response in the Sport setting, there’s little reason to swap between these. The Arona is perfectly pleasant to drive in its default settings.