SEAT Arona and Ibiza review: Small motors get an extra edge
Seat Ibiza
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Arona Seat Ibiza And |
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★★★★☆ |
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€32,425 Tested Ibiza Tested As – As €36,085; – Arona |
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Litre With Both Turbo One With Bhp Natty 110 Petrol Equipped |
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In Trim, Fr Trim In Cars Seen And Upgrades Have Both Significant Tech |
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Emphasis">verdict This week we’re doing something slightly different in that we are reviewing – magic, this – two cars at the very same time. Now it may be that both are from the same stable and have the same engine – two new cars that are not battery powered, imagine – but they are different beasts and will, largely, sell to different types of clientele. The two in question are both from SEAT and both have received something of a mid-life facelift to give them a potential sales boost as they come near to their being replaced in the Spanish company’s line-up. First up, we have the SEAT Ibiza, one of car maker’s longest standing nameplates and one of its most profitable too; along with that we have the SEAT Arona, the firm’s smallest SUV and another popular seller from the Martorell outfit. Both have been given a minor exterior wash-and-brush-up to polish up what are already attractive packages, while the main improvements come in the interiors. Both have also been given a new ‘FR’ specification tag which ups the ante a bit more. It used to be that an ‘FR’ designated SEAT was a very sporty thing and you could say that applies here too, what with twin exhausts, a DSG auto gearbox and fancy alloys on offer, but there’s little enough you can do with a one-litre three-cylinder engine outputting just 110 bhp. So, both these cars are on the genteel side of performance oriented, but in a very nice way which, in some regards, actually makes their appeal all the stronger. In the case of the Ibiza, the exterior changes include revisions to the front and rear bumpers, a raft of new colours, new alloy wheel variants and a new ‘Ibiza’ badge on the rear hatch that is faux handwritten, but looks good. On the inside, upfront you have a completely revised dash with nice, padded surfaces around all the touchpoints and a new, larger, 8.25” touchscreen controlling all the infotainment stuff. It all looks a bit more sophisticated than previously and a considerable distance from the bargain basement décor that was once SEAT’s trademark. That said, once you venture into the rear passenger space, scratchy plastics abound, but as the owner/driver is rarely going to be back there, they will hardly notice. But what even the rear passengers will notice is the general interior upgrading, what with ‘FR’ upholstery, ambient lighting, grey air vents and the dark aluminium mouldings and trim. They’ll notice too the spec levels which include a multi-function steering wheel, rear parking sensors, black roof lining, cruise control, two zone air con., the 8” digital instrumentation screen for the driver, as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capability. It does have the very tiresome lane departure warning system and the speed warning alert, but both are easily disconnected – even if you have to do it every time you undertake a journey. The FR Ibiza also comes with sports suspension which makes the car 15mm lower than in the normal car and also firms up the ride a little. This means that the handling is pin sharp, even if the ride can be a small bit crashy on badly paved roads. On the road, this is a dashing piece of kit and while the output from the three-cylinder turbocharged engine might seem puny, but this unit is a tireless worker and blessed with a willingness for endeavour that’s as pleasure to live with. It may be the Ibiza will spend a considerable amount of its life as an urbanite, but it has a good appetite for longer trips and works well on the motorway, without running out of gasp. There are also four driving modes – Eco, Normal, Sport and Individual – although in truth there’s little noticeable difference between them. All told, it’s a pretty compelling package for the money, what with the added specification and the sporty demeanour and it’s a cracker to drive. Moving on to the Arona FR, the changes to the exterior are – again – minimal, but the front end does get a completely new look. The new fog lights between the grille and the valance have a sort of ‘frog-eye’ look and give a modernity and adventurousness to the design. Once more, however, the rest of the changes are limited, what with a new rear bumper, new colours and different alloy wheel designs. You can also chose to have a contrasting colour on the roof is you so wish The interior – again – gets a big makeover and as with the Ibiza, there have been improvements to the materials used, the colour schemes on offer and the infotainment system. There is now also an optional phone charging system. It also has a bigger central touchscreen and a bigger digital cockpit screen, as well more spec being available including cruise control, a rear view camera, ambient lighting and front and rear parking assistance. An ability to use the SEAT CONNECT app, also allows you to remotely open or lock the car and other trickery. The power source and the seven-speed DSG auto gearbox are the same as the Ibiza and so too the lowered suspension and, as the two cars are based on the same platform, the driving characteristics are unsurprisingly similar – i.e. very driver-oriented. It is worth noting too that for a small SUV, the NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) qualities are of a higher order than you might expect at this level of capability, so that’s another plus mark for the Arona. Both of these cars have been very popular and profitable for SEAT and the upgrades we’ve seen here will undoubtedly bolster what have already been solid sales numbers. The Spanish arm of the VW Group has traditionally been the poor relation, but the tech changes, visual improvements and comfort upgrades of both the Ibiza and the Arona alter whatever impression you might have had of their entry level contenders in their respective classes. Both these cars are classy, well priced and offer an excellent driving experience and reflect an upgrade of the company’s overall image. That’s something which is not only welcome, but also long overdue. | |
