The Seat Arona Has Aged Better Than Its Sales Chart Has Any Right To Admit
All three reviews reference the same surprising fact: this car has gone essentially untouched since 2017, and yet it's still selling in genuinely huge numbers — a curiosity none of them can fully explain, beyond simply being a solid, competent product.
Nine Years Unchanged, Still Finding Buyers
Most small SUVs get comprehensively redesigned well before this much time passes. Reviewers keep expressing genuine surprise that this one hasn't needed to, and that buyers have kept coming regardless.
Specs at a Glance
| Body style | Small SUV |
|---|---|
| Engines | 1.0 TSI 95 (94bhp), 1.0 TSI 115 (114bhp), 1.5 TSI 150 (148bhp) |
| 0–62mph | 11.1 sec (TSI 95) to 8.3 sec (TSI 150) |
| Boot space | 400 litres |
| Shared platform with | Skoda Kamiq, VW T-Cross, Seat Ibiza |
Full Review Summary
Top Gear
Top Gear rated the latest minor facelift as improving a couple of details without addressing a cabin that's starting to feel genuinely tired and dated. They found nothing objectively wrong with how it drives, but concluded it's fading into "last decade" territory compared with fresher rivals, even as roughly 750,000 examples sold since 2017 prove the underlying formula clearly still works for a lot of buyers.
What Car?
What Car? recommended the mid-range 114bhp engine, measuring a 9.2-second 0-60mph time with the automatic gearbox that beat a comparable Kia Stonic on the same test day. They praised genuinely engaging handling with accurate steering and well-controlled body lean, rating it more entertaining than the Citroën C3 Aircross, Peugeot 2008 or Renault Captur, though flagged a bottom-half finish in their reliability survey and no hybrid option as genuine weaknesses.
Autocar
Autocar found the updated 2026 Arona looks, functions and drives remarkably similarly to the original 2017 car, describing the experience as "weirdly refreshing" rather than a problem in an industry obsessed with constant reinvention. They praised the driving position as more reassuringly car-like than the Hyundai Kona's higher perch, though rated the cabin as genuinely "snoozeworthy" with amorphous black plastics dominating even higher trims.
Strengths
- Genuinely engaging handling for the class
- Comfortable, reassuringly familiar driving position
- Strong resale value given the huge production run
- Straightforward, easy-to-use physical controls
Weak points
- Cabin design and materials feel genuinely dated
- Below-average reliability survey results
- No hybrid or electric version available
- Automatic gearbox can hesitate when moving off
Who It Actually Suits
Buyers who want a genuinely engaging-to-drive small SUV and don't mind an ageing, straightforward cabin. The mid-range 114bhp engine is the clear recommendation across reviews — a meaningful step up from the sluggish entry unit without the extra weight and cost of the top engine.