SEAT Gives Its 2021 Arona Baby SUV A Refresh Inside And Out

Nearly four years after its presentation, the Seat Arona has been spruced up with new exterior looks, more digitalized interior and additional safety features.

The Spanish brand’s subcompact crossover, which is a sister model to the Volkswagen T-Cross and Skoda Kamiq, comes in the SE, SE Technology, FR, FR Sport, Xperience and Xperience Lux trim levels, with the latter replacing the old Xcellence.

Bolder face and full LED exterior lighting

The 2021 Arona has a updated front end, with a bigger grille between the remodeled headlamps. The bumper is all-new and features repositioned fog lamps that now sit closer to the main clusters. The profile soldiers on and at the back, it sports a pair of reshaped taillights, new font for the ‘Arona’ lettering in the middle of the tailgate below the license plate holder, and an updated bumper with a more aggressive-looking diffuser.

Review: New Seat Arona Is A Good Subcompact SUV That Needs More Sparkle

Seat’s facelifted Arona has full LED exterior lighting, with ‘eco’ offerings on the SE and SE Technology trim levels, and ‘full’ LEDs on the upper specs. There are 10 exterior colors available, including the new Sapphire Blue, Asphalt Blue and Dark Camouflage, and they can be contrasted by the Magnetic Tech, Midnight Black and new Candy White roof finishes. Customers can also choose one of the new alloy wheel designs, 17 and 18 inches in size.

More significant updates inside

Inside, the new Arona has a revised dashboard, with a two-layer shape and new center console. The infotainment system, with an 8.25-inch display as standard and 9.2-inch screen offered from the SE Technology upwards, now has a floating design and sits above the new central air vents and next to the 10.25-inch digital cluster that’s limited to the FR Sport and Xperience Lux models.

The new air vents are illuminated in different colors, depending on the grade, and the steering wheel has a new rim, flat-bottom design, revised central part and more buttons. The rear passenger compartment is now illuminated at night thanks to the new interior lights.

Smartphone integration, remote services and built-in eSIM are included, and drivers will be aided by the new safety systems, such as the Travel Assist that combines the Lane Assist with the Adaptive Cruise Control for semi-autonomous driving, Side Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition and Park Assist.

Petrol-only powertrain family with up to 150 PS

The engine family comprises of a 1.0-liter three-pot petrol unit that puts out 95 PS (94 HP / 70 kW) and 175 Nm (129 lb-ft) of torque and is coupled to a five-speed manual transmission in the entry-level Arona. A 110 PS (108 HP / 81 kW) and 200 Nm (148 lb-ft) version of the same unit is available as well, either with a six-speed manual or a seven-speed DSG, while a 1.5-liter turbo-four that kicks out 150 PS (148 HP / 110 kW) and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) tops the range.