SEAT Arona SUV 2017 Gallery

The SEAT Arona is the Spanish carmaker's entry into the compact crossover SUV field

It's based on the same mechanical package as the SEAT Ibiza supermini, but 12cm taller and a little bigger inside

The Arona's style is closely related to the Ibiza, too, although its contrastingly-coloured 'floating' roof is a neat touch.

Its supermini chassis means agility is strong and the Arona never feels cumbersome or heavy to drive

There's no 'performance' model as such, but the FR can be chosen with a 148bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine...

...it's the neatest handler in the range thanks to its sports suspension and 'drive profile' system

The ride is surprisingly smooth, even with the FR Sport's 18-inch alloy wheels, although there's some road noise at speed.

The steering is a little over-light, but there's plenty of grip and the body remains impressively upright in corners

The 1.0-litre, 113bhp engine proves impressive, with a 0-62mph time under ten seconds, allied with good fuel economy

The 1.6-litre diesel engine is likely to be economical, too, although figures have yet to be confirmed.

The Arona's dashboard is neatly designed and well equipped, but rather lacking in style and flair

The interior uses pleasant materials, and is generally spacious although rear seat legroom is only adequate

The 400-litre boot can only be expanded by dropping the rear seatback...

...unlike the Citroen C3 Aircross whose rear seat can slide fore and aft to increase space for luggage or passengers

When the rear seat is folded flat, bootspace expands to 823 litres.