Spanish carmaker and Volkswagen subsidiary Seat has just unveiled to the world their latest compact SUV called the Seat Arona.
It rides on VW Group’s MQB A0 architecture that underpins the newly launched sixth-generation Volkswagen Polo. This means one thing – the crossover version of the Polo, the T-Roc, would most definitely be riding on the same platform as the Arona. 
Design wise, it’s largely similar to the Ibiza hatchback. To that end, it’s taller and longer than the hatch equivalent and gets a larger 400 litre (up by 108 litres) boot.
Inside, things look a little more familiar. Items such as the 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system is lifted off the new Polo, whereas the growth in dimensions give rear occupants better legroom. The Arona is armed with a decent list of driver assistance technologies like adaptive cruise control, front assist with autonomous emergency braking, rear cross traffic alert and much more.
In the powertrain department, things kick off with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine making either 94 hp or 113 hp. One step above is the 1.5-litre four cylinder that makes 148 hp, whereas the 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel produces either 94 hp or 113 hp as well. All variants are front-wheel driven and come with a choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed dual clutch transmissions.
Sales of the new Seat Arona will begin later this year with an attractive starting price of £14k (approximately RM77k ) in the UK.
It will go up against the dominant few in the industry, such as the Nissan Juke, Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3 and Toyota C-HR. Ah, the things we’re missing out on…
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