SEAT Arona SUV SE Technology 1.0 TSI 95PS (07/2018 on) 5d Owner Review

The Arona feels solid and safe and is economical. The 95 PS engine provides a reasonable performance, and the interior is OK and purposeful but nothing special. In short, I find it a practical and economical car if you're not looking for something that stands out in the crowd. I've had the Arona for 12 months now. It was an ex-demo model with 2,500 miles when I purchased it from the dealer. The MPG impresses me - up to 60MPG on longer trips and about 50MPG for the work commute. The infotainment system is great but occasionally it freezes (probably about once a month). However, next time I start it up all is fine. The other niggly issue is with the auto stop-start which occasionally randomly seems to auto-stop and requires you to manually start the engine with the key - not great when you're turning at a busy junction! I have a black model and as my commute is along country lanes I've noticed that the paintwork marks quite easily from the flailing branches on this type of trip. I use Android Auto a lot and sometimes find it doesn't connect. I'm not sure if this is a problem with the car or the phone. I've also used the SEAT connect App but I'm not sure I'll sign up next year (it costs around £115 p.a.) as I don't think the App is really that beneficial.
So, would I recommend the Arona? Yes, if you want a vehicle built on VW technology (it shares the Ibiza and Polo engineering) that's cheaper than a VW and is also economical. If you're not too concerned with impressive trim and just want something purposeful with reasonable but not punchy performance, then I think the Arona does this.