Simple pleasures
No fancy electronics, no options list and a proper handbrake. The Arona is Grumpy Old Man heaven.
SOME OF THE most pleasing things about these early days with the Arona are things that aren’t there. Or, put more positively, there’s a wonderful absence of clutter and filler. No central armrest or oddments bin. Why not? Because there’s a real handbrake – always a good thing. No keyless entry, so instead there’s a conventional key, which avoids any ‘where’s my key?’ confusion.
No lane-departure or automatic emergency braking or cruise control. And no electronic assistance for the boot or steering column or seat adjustment. What you get is a good engine and a decent chassis in a compact but reasonably roomy and stylish package. Everything is there for a very clear reason, that reason being to let you get on with driving the car and using it to ease your way through the daily grind.
There are no options fitted to the car, because there aren’t any available. Seat’s current philosophy is that the spec levels are distinct and well defined, and once a potential customer has plumped for an engine and a colour, they’ll quickly spot which spec level suits their preferences. Job done.
I’m not sure it’s quite as simple as Seat says it is. There are six trim levels (and Seat did that vogueish thing of also having a special early-buyer spec level called First Edition), which come in three pairs. The most basic is SE, but there’s also the slightly higher SE Technology (which brings you upgraded infotainment). At the top there’s the techy Xcellence and techier Xcellence Lux. In the middle there’s my car, the FR, but also the FR Sport (with 18inch rather than 17-inch wheels, alacantara not cloth upholstery and more sophisticated suspension; that lot adds £770 to the price). FR has sporty seats, black interior detailing, four driving modes, climate control, chrome roof rails plus different grille and rear bumper designs.
My engine, the 1.5 turbocharged petrol four, is only available with the FR and FR Sport. In the UK, all Aronas are front-drive and five-door only, and come with metallic paint. There are two smaller petrols and a couple of diesels. Some models are available with seven-speed auto. I suspect I’ve got the best of the bunch.
The cornering does suffer from the Arona’s extra height over the smaller, lighter Ibiza, but overall it’s good – certainly more fun than the larger Ateca. You need to engage with it – keep the engine spinning and you’ll find plenty of power without too great a thirst for fuel. It gets a bit loud when you rev it hard, but is generally refined and comfortable.
My fiddling with the modes (Eco, Comfort, Sport, Individual) may make a bit of difference to the economy, but bigger benefits come from smooth driving. You know you’re being smooth because you get a message flashed up saying that two of the four cylinders have been deactivated, and you’re cruising along on minimal fuel. Without the message you really wouldn’t know half the engine has its feet up on the desk.