New 2026 Seat Arona Facelift Review
- Feb 18
- 5 min read
Can the Seat Arona still hold its crown as one of the best small SUV's you can buy?
Exterior – Front
So, starting with the design at the front of the Seat Arona and it follows the same trend as the Ibiza. To start with we get this bigger grill design with a bigger mesh pattern but with a sharper edge to it. The headlights are also new and sharper with the same design as the Ibiza with the eyebrow triangle design. This does give it a unique look. What do you think. Let me know in the comment section below and whilst you are at it don’t forget to like and subscribe. Moving lower down at the front we get a big air central air vent with a big mesh pattern, and this is where the fog lights now hide. This removes the weird Pod lights from before which did look a bit out of place. The side vents are connected to the central air vents this time and do look decent and are proper vents too. The front end does also look quite off road like and rugged too which I do quite like.
Exterior – Side
Moving round to the side of the Arona and there’s nothing really to report about, but we do get some new colour options as well as some more rugged looking wheel options which I quite like. I also quite like the different colour roof options too
Exterior – Rear
Moving round to the back of the Arona and unlike the Ibiza, the Arona doesn’t have any changes round to the back. To start with the bumper design as actually the same as it was all the way back in 2018. The central part did change in 2018 though but on this 2026 model it has been made darker just like the Arona and FR badges. The taillights are the same as before but do look quite premium. Overall though it does have a rugged design to it and I do think the Arona will sell just the same as it has always done. Right, lets have a look and see what engine and gearbox options you can have with the new Seat Arona Facelift.
Car and engine specs and price
So, the engine range for the Arona sort of mimics the Ibiza. Lets start with the base model. This is the usual 1.0 litre turbo Petrol unit which has 94 bhp. this can be mated to a 5 speed Manual gearbox powering the front wheels. This can do 0-62 within 11.4 seconds which isn’t too bad, but it won’t set any land speed records. The next engine is the same 1.0 litre turbo petrol but this time the power has increased to 114 bhp and this can be had with either a 6-speed manual or a 7 speed DSG automatic gearbox. 0-62 time for this engine is about 10.1 seconds depending on what gearbox you go for. Both do power the front wheels though. The next engine that I wish the Ibiza got is the 1.5 litre turbo petrol unit which has 148 bhp and only available with a 7 Speed DSG Automatic powering the front wheels. 0-62 time is delt within 8.3 seconds which is quite good for a small SUV. Just like the Ibiza also there will be a pair of mild hybrid engines coming to the Arona in 2027. We don’t know what they are yet, but we will make sure we will keep you updated when that information arrives. The price of the new Seat Arona Facelift starts at £23,105 which isn’t too bad and is cheaper than most of its rivals which is good. Right, lets have a look and see what the interior is like.
Interior – Design
So, climbing inside the new Seat Arona and just like the Ibiza there isn’t really that many big changes to talk about. Really the main changes and a few new graphics on the infotainment system and instrument cluster as well as some new trim panels and materials. This means we get a decent designed dashboard with a shelf design. The infotainment system is the older style unit, but it does work quite well but it has been upgraded so you can now have a premium sound system. We also have the same steering wheel as before too and we still get some physical climate control buttons and a physical gear shifter which is quite rare now adays especially this proper hand brake too for some great handbrake turns. Right, let’s have a look and see what the rear seats are like.
Practicality
So, climbing into the back of the Seat Arona Facelift and really it is the same again as the Ibiza but slightly better in some areas. Well, leg room and head room is very good and almost class leading which is great and the seats are quite comfortable. But with the same as the Ibiza, you don’t get an arm rest like you may do in some of the cars in its class and you don’t get any USB C ports unlike the rest of the others in its class. There is also a lot of plastic too which is a shame and yes, I do understand that it is a cheap base model SUV but other cars in its class do have better materials in the back. Right, with that rant over let’s have a look in the boot.
Boot Size
So, opening the boot to the Arona Facelift and just like the Ibiza Facelift in having the class leading boot, the Arona is no different at 400 litres with the seats up. If you fold the seats down 60:40 split, then this extends to 1,280 litres. You also get a flat floor all the way though as well as space underneath the false floor too. So, definitely useable then which is good.
Summary
So, in summary then what do I think of the Seat Arona Facelift. Well, it is a good-looking car with a well-built interior, and it is very practical. Now I would recommend this car especially if you want an SUV with German build quality. The Arona and even the Ibiza do have their downsides especially with the rear space area and it is starting to show its age in some areas but considering the original cars came out in 2017 and 2018 they haven’t aged as bad as other cars that are a similar age. I can easily see these cars extending past 2030. What is most important though is that it’s not about the reviews. It’s about what customers want and most people wont use USB C ports in the back of the car and most people wont care about cheaper plastics or slower infotainment systems as they will use Apple Car Play or Android Auto. What customers care about is useability and price and that is what these two Seat Cars do best so I can easily see the Arona and Ibiza still being good sellers.
Exterior 4/5
Interior 3/5
Practicality 3/5
Total 10/15
Model | Seat Arona FR Sport |
Engine | 1.0 TSI Petrol, 114bhp, 0-62 = 10.1 Seconds, Front Wheel Drive |
Transmission | 7 Speed DSG Automatic |
Price | £29,440 |
On Sale | Now |
Comments