The Arona impressed us more than most of its new and established rivals when we first drove it and, between the Ibiza, Ateca and Leon, its maker is also on a bit of a roll at present.
This is a smart, svelte and sporty-looking car that does without the bluff grille and squared-off wheel arches that you'll find on certain rivals, and it succeeds very well in a visual sense - both as a crossover hatchback and as a contemporary Seat.
It's unlikely most owners will peddle the Arona with real enthusiasm on a frequent basis, but the car nevertheless does a lot of things right in the handling department.
Its spring and damper rates are remarkably well judged for UK tarmac, and at typical A-road and B-road speeds, the ride is effortlessly composed and refined for such a small car.
That Seat's hard-edged design language - now a common sight on UK roads - translates so fluently onto this car's unusual proportions completes a package that goes straight to the top of an ever-growing class. No rival balances practicality and panache quite like it.
