SEAT is about to launch a smaller SUV heavily inspired by the Ibiza and the vehicle has now be named the Arona.
The brand’s boss confirmed that it will be available in dealership stores next year.

The model was first revealed at the 2016 Paris Motor Show and car lovers had very little information available back then. It was obvious that SEAT is building a smaller, compact SUV. However, other details with regards to the car remained hidden. The automobile brand’s CEO Luca De Meo during the conference said that with multiple cars up the line including the Arona, Ibiza, Leon and the Ateca, SEAT will consolidate its space in the automobile market. These cars in different segments will deliver what customers expect of them and giving them the choice they look forward to.
During the Paris show reveal, the name Arona was not confirmed. The word originates from a location in Spain that is close to the Canary islands. The new small SUV is being built on top of the platform that is already being used by the Ibiza Supermini. Spy photographers who are always on the lookout to catch these new cars in action have captured the SUV and the camouflaged car gives us a good idea of what to expect in terms of external looks. It is very much a crossover between the Nissan Juke and the Renault Captur. The car is the second SUV and just one of the many that are being continuously added to SEAT’s list.
Beyond the camouflage, we can still spot the rear lights that are borrowed from SEAT Ateca. The design team has even used similar shoulder line and rooflines for the car combined with bulky big bumpers and a 4×4 design. The production model is expected to sport an increased ride height even though the overall dimensions of the car will be compact to be an apt fit for its target audience.
SEAT dials adorn the steering wheel with an interior cabin that reminds us of the company’s popular design. It is much of an Ibiza than an Arona and supports all connectivity options including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The spy shots show a car that is close to the production edition and it may hardly undergo any changes when the final version arrives. The manufacturer is really busy adding new SUVs to their lineup and many of them will get launched in 2017. They make good use of Volkswagen’s MQB platform and SEAT is betting big on the Ibiza supermini.