Facelifted Seat Arona small SUV revealed: price, specs and release date

On sale: Summer 2021 | Price from: £19,500 (est)

The breed of bull used for Spanish bullfights is known as a Toro Bravo. Selected for its muscled appearance rather than its size, the Toro Bravo is characterised by high energy and aggressive behaviour. It's a perfect example of the small but mighty mantra, and an apt way to describe this newly updated Seat Arona.

With its redesigned front grille, repositioned fog lights and chunkier front and rear bumpers, the Arona looks ready to charge at the red flag – or away from your local traffic lights, as is more likely to be the case. LED headlights are now standard across the range, and there's a wider choice of paint colours and alloy wheel designs for buyers who really want to stand out.

Inside, the current Arona's 6.5in touchscreen infotainment system has been upgraded to 8.25in, or 9.2in if you go for an SE Technology model or above. You can also opt for digital dials on higher models, which can put useful information including the sat-nav map directly into your line of sight. As before, the infotainment system features Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone connectivity. Rear passengers get better lighting, thanks to new roof-mounted lights.

There's no change to the Arona's boot size, meaning it still dwarfs rivals including the Hyundai Kona and Kia Stonic, but the Ford Puma and Skoda Kamiq will make an easier meal of your holiday suitcases.

The Arona's suite of safety and assistance kit now includes traffic sign recognition, automatic parking assistance and semi-automated motorway driving, thanks to adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance.

Engine choices are unchanged, meaning our recommendation is likely to remain the 94bhp 1.0-litre petrol, which is a gutsy performer around town and doesn't feel frustratingly slow on faster roads. 

Prices haven't been revealed yet, but we'd expect a small mark-up on today's Arona, with prices starting from around £19,500. That means it will remain more expensive than some rivals and significantly cheaper than the class-leading Puma.

Elsewhere in the manufacturer's range, the Seat Ibiza small hatchback has been updated. Like the Arona, it gets a beefier look on the outside, as well as the larger infotainment screens we've outlined above and the same updated range of safety and assistance systems. Prices for the updated Ibiza are likely to start from around £17,500.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here

Read more: The best small cars revealed >>