Arona gets it absolutely right
MOST CARS that are fitted with sports suspension lose out in ride quality – and in some, it’s so bad as to make them quite uncomfortable.
But one that doesn’t seem to be affected at all is the absolutely fantastic Seat Arona.
This is as good as a small SUV gets. I could not believe how marvelous the quality of the ride was.
It took the worst of rolling country roads in its stride and also managed to soak up terrible town surfaces at under 30mph.
Others have said the ride is “acceptable” on back roads. That’s complete baloney – it is superb.
Yet the brilliant handling and road holding also stand out as being very special, with tremendous grip on any surface – even pushed hard.
The VW Group power steering is one of the best systems in the world, giving precise and direct response together with marvellous road feel.
So the handling is also top of the tree and well up to cars that consider themselves two or three rungs higher up the ladder than this humble Seat.
I drove the cracking 1.0-litre TSi three-cylinder turbo petrol and it lacks nothing whatsoever. It has more power than the old Seat 1.6 petrol, together with much lower emissions and 45mpg economy in real driving.
The gearchange is quick and slick, the clutch is light and easy and the brakes hold all the horses in check with consummate ease.
There’s room for five adults inside, with good front and rear legroom and a decent sized boot.
And FR trim brings a huge array of goodies including wireless phone charging and a full link to your mobile so that you can play your favourite music.
It also has a two colour paint scheme, Bluetooth, DAB stereo, automatic emergency braking, cruise control, rear parking sensors, stability control, sat nav and an eight-inch touchscreen.
The Seat Arona is so good that I think it will take sales from most of the other smaller SUVs on the market.
It is superb to drive, and lovely to live with. I’d be happy with one as my only car.
The Seat Arona 1.0 TSI FR I drove costs £20,165.