Seat has revealed its new Arona compact SUV at a media event in Barcelona, in front of 250 international journalists. The Arona will make its public debut at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September.

The Arona is the Spanish brand’s third new release in 2017, after the upgraded Leon and the New Ibiza. This is another addition to the Seat range in its biggest product offensive ever, which also includes the Ateca and the upcoming large size SUV that will be released in 2018.

Seat says the Arona, manufactured exclusively in Martorell – the plant with the largest production volume in Spain – will play a key role in strengthening its brand and increasing sales.

“We at Seat are very persistent. With our biggest product offensive, by the time the Large SUV reaches the market, Seat will have launched, on average, a new vehicle every six months in two and a half years. Seat has allocated a total of 900 million euros in investments and R&D expenditure to the Ibiza and Arona. These investments are a part of the total investment of 3.3 billion euros for the 2015-2019 period”, says Luca de Meo, President of Seat. “The commercial launch of the New Ibiza is taking place this very month, and Arona will be premiered at the Frankfurt Motorshow”.

The Arona is the first Seat model in the compact crossover segment.

When it comes to passive safety, Seat believes the Arona performs at the highest level in an environment that is much more demanding nowadays. “We’re certain that the New Seat Arona is the perfect answer to the current demands of our customers, in terms of dynamic behaviour, comfort, safety and state-of-the-art technology. We are once again setting new standards in the segment” says Dr. Matthias Rabe, Executive Vice-President for Research and Development.

Available features include Front Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Hill Hold control, Tiredness Recognition System, Auto lights and wipers, Multi-Collision Braking, Keyless Entry and Start System, precise and high-quality rear camera, 8-inch black panel touchscreen, and Connectivity Hub with Wireless Phone Charger and GSM signal amplifier. The Arona also offers an optional Rear Traffic Alert, Blind Spot Detection and Park Assistance System, which works for both parallel and angled parking.

In terms of its dimensions, the Seat Arona is 4,138mm long, which is 79mm more than the new Ibiza although the Arona is 99mm taller.

Seat says the MQB (Modular Quer Baukasten) A0 platform allows higher manufacturing flexibility, more robust implementation and different models with different body types within the same segment. Also different wheelbase configurations can be achieved within the same base platform. Seat’s investments and R&D expenditure in recent years were partially allocated to adapt Line 1 at the Martorell factory to the new MQB A0 platform, allowing SEAT to be the first company of the Volkswagen group to use this technology.

In terms of connectivity, Arona features Apple Car Play, Android Auto and Mirror Link.

Alejandro Mesonero, Design Director at Seat, says, “We wanted to give the New Seat Arona the distinct feel of a crossover, a sturdy car for everyday life, for the urban jungle. That’s why it features such strong protection in the bumpers, the wheel arches and the dark coloured rubber side skirts, as well as the roof rack and the aluminium look-like protection at the bottom of the bumpers”. All of which makes it look tougher and taller, according to Seat. The 665mm larger diameter wheels also help to make the car higher.

Seat says the fabrics, shades and colours are exclusive to the new Arona, whose interior colours and trims offer many possibilities for personalisation (depending on market), with the console, for example, being painted to match the dashboard. Colour-wise, the Arona is divided into two: the lower body, on the one hand, and the roof, plus the A- and C-pillars, on the other. Added to the colour palette for the bodywork is Eclipse Orange. The roof can be grey, black, orange or the same colour as the body. Globally, there are 68 possible colour combinations. Prominent on the C-pillar is the ‘X’ graphic engraved in the sheet metal to highlight the Arona’s crossover look.

All of the engines available in the new Seat Arona range have direct injection, a turbocompressor, and feature an automatic stop & start system. There are three different petrol engines to choose from, all with an aluminium block and three or four cylinders.

As for diesel options, the 1.6 TDI will be available with 94 and 113 bhp. The 94 bhp version can be paired with a five-speed manual transmission or seven-speed DSG, and the 113 bhp with a six-speed gearbox.