SEAT Arona SUV - Practicality & boot space

The Arona sits on the same floorpan as the SEAT Ibiza supermini, so it was never likely to offer real ‘big-car’ interior space. However, it does bring a useful boost in everyday versatility compared to the Ibiza, making it a car with real purpose as well as more impressive to look at.

SEAT Arona interior space & storage

The first thing you notice in the Arona after travelling in an Ibiza is how much additional headroom the car has. It’s actually 12cm taller than the Ibiza and although its slightly elevated ride height accounts for some of that, the remainder is very welcome inside. Even tall drivers and passengers will have enough space, while there’s sufficient interior width to allow four adults to travel without clashing shoulders.

Rear legroom is less generous than in the Citroen C3 Aircross and those over six feet tall are likely to find long journeys uncomfortable unless a splay-legged posture is adopted.

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Boot space

The 400-litre boot is usefully bigger than that of the SEAT Ibiza, too, and is a competitive size compared to most rivals. However, it doesn’t offer the versatility of the Citroen C3 Aircross or Renault Captur, which have a sliding rear bench that can be moved forwards and back to increase rear seat or luggage space as needed. With up to 536 litres available in its biggest setting, the Renault remains the one to go for if practicality is your priority.

The system that SEAT uses to measure boot space gives 823 litres as the total luggage volume when the rear seats are folded flat. However, we suspect that this isn't the full story, and that a bigger number would be arrived at if you loaded it from floor to ceiling. The boot itself is a handy shape, with plenty of room for a set of decent-sized suitcases or a comprehensive weekly shopping trip.