SEAT Arona interior, tech and practicality

The SEAT Arona has a really easy-to-use dashboard, with everything well labelled and where you’d expect it. It’s typical of a SEAT interior – usability takes priority over a flashy design, which we probably wouldn’t say about the Peugeot 2008 or Fiat 500X. As there are plenty of physical controls and dials, you don’t need to take your eyes off the road for too long to adjust driving functions.

Keeping your eyes on the road also means you don’t have to look at the quality of the Arona’s materials. All the plastics are a bit scratchy, which is just about acceptable given the car’s relatively low price – but we wouldn’t mind seeing some damping for the glovebox and some softer materials here and there. Certain trims get a leather-effect dashboard, while Microsuede upholstery is available on high-spec cars, somewhat improving the atmosphere. The build quality is really strong, though, and the hard plastics should stand up to years of family life.

The Arona’s raised ride height over the SEAT Ibiza makes it easier to get in and out, especially if you have limited mobility. Its upright stance also helps visibility, and the view out over your shoulder is pretty good. That’s helpful seeing as blind-spot monitoring is only fitted on Xcellence trim levels and a reversing camera is reserved for the very top-spec Xcellence Lux. Rear parking sensors are fitted on every trim but the entry-level SE, however.

With every model getting reach and rake adjustment for the steering wheel, and height-adjustable front seats, finding your ideal driving position should be easy.

We’ll start with the SE spec, which gets a long list of standard equipment. Highlights include cruise control, air conditioning, 17-inch alloy wheels, auto headlights with LED daytime running lights, emergency brake assist and a touchscreen with phone connectivity and digital radio.

SE Technology adds a bigger screen with more features, plus wireless phone charging and rear parking sensors, while the limited-run SE Technology Lux adds adaptive cruise control, keyless entry, heated front seats and Beats Audio. The SE Technology Lux trim was only offered with the diesel engine.

The Arona FR adds a sporty look with twin exhaust styling, more sculpted bumpers and tinted rear windows. LED headlights are also fitted, while the air con is upgraded to two-zone climate control. Sports seats, auto wipers and different driving modes come as part of the package, too. Interestingly, FR trim is the cheapest trim to come with an alarm.

FR Sport is next, with bigger wheels in a two-tone finish, suede upholstery and heated front seats.

Xcellence has more of a luxury focus, with adaptive cruise control and keyless entry among the features added over the pair of FR trims. The loftiest Xcellence Lux Aronas come with the features of FR Sport trim, plus front parking sensors and self-parking ability.

Xcellence became Xperience in the 2021 facelift, and a digital instrument display became standard. Before, it was only fitted to FR Sport and Xcellence Lux trims.

Phone connectivity is a must-have feature for many buyers, so every Arona offers a touchscreen with Bluetooth and, importantly, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Entry-level SE trim gets a smaller screen than the rest, and it’s also worth going for a higher spec for the built-in sat nav, voice control, extra USB port and wireless phone charging.

On pre-facelift cars, the SE gets a 6.5-inch screen and every other trim level gets an eight-inch screen. Post-2021 cars get an 8.25-inch screen or a 9.2-inch screen, with the latter, again, fitted to all-but-one trim levels. It’s a similar story with the newly standard digital dials – most trims get an eight-inch display while FR Sport and Xperience Lux get a widescreen 10-inch display that fills the area better.

Comparing pre and post-facelift cars, the most obvious difference is the placement of the infotainment screen. But the newer screen, which sits proud of the dashboard rather than sitting snugly in it, also runs SEAT’s latest infotainment software. Both have shortcut tiles on the screen and both are fairly responsive. We actually prefer the older system in pre-facelift cars as it’s slightly easier to use and, in our experience, suffered from fewer annoying glitches. The newer system does offer wireless phone mirroring, though – so no need to plug a cable in like you do on pre-2021 models.

Besides the now-discontinued SE Technology Lux trim with its Beats-branded audio system, all Aronas get the same standard stereo. Casual listeners shouldn’t have much to moan about, but committed audiophiles might prefer a rival with a branded system, such as the Nissan Juke’s Bose Personal Plus offering.

The Arona doesn’t quite offer class-leading rear-seat space but it’s certainly more spacious than most of its rivals. We tested a Ford Puma, Kia Stonic, Fiat 500X and an Arona back-to-back, and the Arona was by far the most comfortable for tall adults. Its square shape means there’s an abundance of headroom, and legroom is also more generous than in other small SUVs.

While three adults won’t be comfortable in the back of the Arona, they’ll feel a bit less squeezed than if they were in a Stonic or 500X.

It’s a little strange that the Arona’s Isofix points are hidden behind zips when other VW Group cars have them easily accessible. But they shouldn’t be too hard to find, and the Arona’s wide-opening doors and generous rear-seat room mean it’s fairly easy to get a child seat in.

All Aronas get an adjustable boot floor which, in its highest position, gets rid of the load lip and creates a flat floor when the rear seats are folded. In its lower position you get a 400-litre boot, which is about average for the class. It’s more than you get in a Fiat 500X, Hyundai Bayon and Toyota C-HR, but marginally less than the Nissan Juke and Peugeot 2008.

Besides the false boot floor and a couple of hooks, there aren’t really any clever features in the boot. If you want to divvy up passenger space and boot space more flexibly, the Renault Captur and Citroen C3 Aircross both have a sliding rear bench. The Arona’s rear seats do at least fold in a 60:40 split.