Pros Striking exterior design Lots of standard kit and space Very low PCP monthly payments Plenty of personalisation Good to drive
Cons Plain interior design Ride just okay on rough roads Boot smaller than some rivals Entry-level 95hp petrol a little underpowered No Cupra planned (yet)
The five-door All-New Arona, a front-wheel-drive only SUV, is well placed in this highly popular sector of the car market.It’s available with a choice of six engines, with both the diesel and petrol variants offered in either 95PS or 115 PS form, and the sporty FR 1.5 TSI EVO leaping up to 150 PS.
Pros Very smart looking inside and out Good choice of engines Well equipped and overall good value
Cons No SatNav on basic model
The Seat Arona is quite possibly the best compact SUV of the moment. Good practicality, economy and solid driving manners are all Arona staples.It lacks the visual creativity of a Hyundai Kona or the customisation of a Citroen C3 Aircross, but its real-world strengths far outweigh having orange door mirrors. It’s a level-headed car for level-headed people.
Pros Refined 1.0-litre petrol Ergonomic infotainment system Good ride
Cons Humdrum looks Narrow middle seat Trim levels that dictate engine choice
Perhaps we need to stop calling these cars SUVs, because the new Mazda CX-30 is really just a Mazda 3 on stilts, and all the better for it.
Pros Excellent dynamics Interior fit and finish Audio and infotainment system Active safety features Exterior and interior design, practical, makes more sense than a Mazda 3
Cons Ride felt a tad firm (European spec) Expected price premium over the Mazda 3 Infotainment housing a little old school Fits four adults at best
Slotting into the Mazda SUV lineup in the narrow space between the subcompact CX-3 and the compact CX-5 is the new—and curiously named—CX-30. Why isn't it called CX-4? We asked Mazda: It's kind of a long story. Regardless, we like the way it looks. Mazda's designers gave it a more severely forward-canted rear window and chunkier black-plastic body cladding to help differentiate the 2020 Mazda CX-30 from its other crossover siblings.The 2020 CX-30 shares much of its mechanicals and platform with the all-new Mazda 3 sedan and hatchback, so we expect it to have a 186-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, a six-speed automatic transmission and either front- or all-wheel drive. It's possible that Mazda's new gasoline-powered compression-ignition engine—which the company calls Skyactiv-X—is likely to be available in the CX-30 at some point down the road.
Good car, the Mazda CX-30. Handles well, looks smart and has a lovely interior. But as is always the case with crossovers – the conventional car on which it’s based (in this case the Mazda3 hatchback) is the sensible buy.
Pros Good-looking, decent to drive, lovely interior.
Cons Cramped rear, old-fashioned auto.
