What's all this about?
Well, after dangling it off the bottom of a helicopter flying up the Barcelona coast, and baffling us by running a concurrent naming competition for the large SUV (which will be the third in the company's portfolio) that's on the way for 2018, SEAT has gone and whipped the covers off its baby Arona crossover.
Hold about, back up a bit - dangled it off a helicopter?
A huge PR stunt, in which the Arona was suspended beneath a chopper at 300 metres, offering very eagle-eyed people on the Spanish beaches below a sneak first glimpse of the car. Which, naturally, was flying way, way over their heads... but let's talk no more about it.
OK, don't. Can we start with the funky looks?
Sitting below the existing and highly successful SEAT Ateca SUV, the Arona is based on the same MQB A0 platform as its recently-launched stablemate, the all-new Ibiza. That means the Arona is a Nissan Juke-rivalling B-segment crossover, so it has to be trendy and urbane and chic and all other words of that nature, to appeal to a more youthful, city-dwelling populace. To that end, it has fairly chunky body cladding on the lower sections to emphasise its, um, toughness, while you can't fail to have noticed the two-tone roof-and-body ensemble that's going on, the delineation of which is neatly provided by that upswept window line that bisects the C-pillar at the rear of the car. There are a huge 68 different colour combinations for the exterior of the Arona as a result and it's a handsome little thing, all told, which should encounter no problems in attracting punters into showrooms.
How about the cabin?
SEAT has played it typically safe in terms of the visual aesthetic of the console, but it is said to be really safe for the passengers on board, chiefly because the dash is designed around the 'High Console Concept' - meaning all the switches and necessary displays are positioned in such a way that, theoretically, a driver 'barely has to look away from the road while driving' to adjust or check anything. SEAT does claim there are more personalisation options here to jazz up the cockpit, while a whole wealth of driver assist technologies and connectivity packages ensure the Arona should satisfy most customers. Best news is, it's roomier than an Ibiza - being 79mm longer and 99mm taller than its close relation, the Arona has between 33- and 37mm more headroom for occupants, despite having seats that are 52mm higher off the ground, and a boot that has swelled to a useful 400 litres. Trim grades are yet to be confirmed, but they're almost certainly going to run S, SE, Xcellence and FR, as is SEAT's wont in the UK.
What have we got under the bonnet?
Three engines split into five drivetrains, again all coming from the SEAT Ibiza. A 1.0-litre TSI triple starts the show, offering either 95- or 115hp. Above that is a 1.4-litre four-cylinder TSI with 150hp and the spooky cylinder deactivation tech, allowing it to run on two pots during light throttle loads, while a 1.6-litre TDI four-cylinder diesel also comes in the 95- and 115hp splits. Gearboxes on these are an array of five- and six-speed manuals (depending on the engine), with a seven-speed DSG twin-clutch auto unit an option on some models. No word on four-wheel drive yet, although we do know the 1.4 TSI will be available as an FR only.
And what's next for the Arona?
It will get a full public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, with cars arriving in markets before the year is out. Should be a little cracker, if the Ateca is anything to go by.
Matt Robinson - 26 Jun 2017
