The new-look Seat Arona compact SUV is now available to order in the UK with prices starting at just over £19,000. With a revamped front end, a lightly overhauled interior and some more modern equipment, the new Arona is designed to offer customers “exceptional value for money”.

Even so, buyers will have to fork out £19,260 for the cheapest Arona, the SE. In exchange, they will get 17-inch alloy wheels and a two-tone paint job with a contrast roof, not to mention LED headlights and metallic paint. Inside, there’s air conditioning, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and an 8.2-inch touchscreen with the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration tech.

Stepping up to the SE Technology gets you rear parking sensors, a 9.2-inch touchscreen and satellite navigation. However, it also ups the asking price by almost £1,000, taking the total to £20,155.

2021 SEAT Arona facelift

Further up the range, drivers can choose to take the sporty route or the luxurious path, with each offering a choice of two different trim levels. The sporty versions are marginally cheaper than their luxurious equivalents, but there isn’t too much in it.

If you go down the motorsport-orientated route, you come to the FR models, which start at £22,570. That pays for a sportier body kit, tinted rear windows and sportier seats, as well as two-zone climate control, automatic windscreen wipers and fake twin exhaust pipes. But if you have £23,640 to spend, you can upgrade to the FR Sport, with its 18-inch alloy wheels, digital instrument display and heated front seats, as well as microsuede upholstery.

2021 SEAT Arona facelift

Should you choose to go down the luxury route, you’ll be looking at the Xperience model, which costs £23,290 and comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, a digital instrument cluster and two-zone climate control, plus a storage pack with a front centre armrest and drawers under the front seats. Upgrading to the Xperience Lux takes the price to £24,795, but Seat will throw in 18-inch alloy wheels, front parking sensors and a rear-view camera.

Customers get a choice of three petrol engines, with two turbocharged 1-litre units joined by a larger and more powerful 1.5-litre. The basic SE and SE Technology models give buyers a choice between the two 1-litre engines – the 94 bhp ‘95’ and the 109 bhp ‘110’ motors. The former gets a manual gearbox as standard, while the latter comes with a seven-speed automatic.

Higher up the range, the FR and FR Sport versions come with the 109 bhp 1-litre engine as standard, but they offer the choice of manual or automatic gearboxes. You can also choose to have the 1.5-litre, 148 bhp engine, which comes with an automatic transmission as standard. However, if you choose the Xperience or Xperience Lux models, you’re stuck with the 109 bhp 1-litre.

“The Seat Arona is a clear pillar of success within the range, being the second most sold Seat model last year,” said Wayne Griffiths, president of Seat and sister brand Cupra. “The new pricing and updated specifications only add to this vehicles’ incredible attributes, offering a refreshed design at exceptional value for money.”

Gallery: 2021 SEAT Arona facelift