Seat Arona 1.0 TSI FR joins our fleet | Long-term test

Seat’s future has been hanging in the balance since all the attention switched to its sister brand Cupra.

With a string of electric models heading to Cupra showrooms and no sign of any new electric Seats, the logical conclusion was that Seat was going to fade into the background.

Demand for internal combustion engines has remained high across Europe, however. Even with looming deadlines to end the sale of petrol or diesel cars, lots of drivers still want – or can only afford – them.

Over the next few years, Seat has confirmed we’ll see a totally refreshed line-up - before it transitions to electric powertrains, at the end of the decade.

In the meantime, cars like our new Seat Arona are, therefore, very much still relevant. Especially for those company car drivers that sit in bandings where longer range, or more family-friendly EVs are simply too expensive.

The model we’ve opted for it is the FR Limited Editon. It sits in the middle of the line-up, with a decent array of standard kit and a sportier look.

Powered by a 115PS 1.0-litre TSI petrol engine, paired with a seven-speed DSG, our Arona costs £28,620. The cheapest Arona costs £22,460.

Among the spec highlights are a nine-inch touchscreen with sat-nav and wireless smartphone connectivity via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

It also has sporty front bucket seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry with push-button start, a digital instrument cluster, dual-zone climate control, LED headlights, parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

CO2 emissions of 131g/km mean a 31% benefit-in-kind tax penalty. A 20% taxpayer would have to fork out almost £150 a month for the pleasure of having this model on their drive.

The Arona sits in the heartland of the compact SUV market. Based on the popular Ibiza hatch, it shares the same eye-catching styling and keen driving experience.

With its raised seating position, interior practicality is high for a compact model. There’s decent room inside and a 400-litre boot.

Having launched in 2017, we’re looking forward to finding out if the Arona is still competitive among its growing pool of rivals.