Seat's Upcoming Arona SUV To Get Rugged, Off-Road Version

Seat's upcoming compact SUV, the Arona, is set to receive an off-road focused variant dubbed the X-Perience.

The model will follow the Ateca X-Perience version that'll launch late next year, after being previewed at the Paris Motor Show. Autocar reports that the Arona will receive all the same additional features as the Ateca X-Perience, that is high-profile tires, black body cladding, orange exterior highlights and an all-wheel drive system.

According to Seat's research and development vice president, Matthias Rabe, the X-Perience badge helps represent new possibilities for the Ateca range. Unfortunately, he declined to comment about the Arona.

“The X-Perience is an exercise to show the Ateca family’s possibilities and potential in the future. With the Ateca X-Perience we can go beyond that which we already have in the series. It’s for the customer who wants to go further, taking it to the extreme, for weekend adventures and, of course, off-road,” he said.

Seat confirmed that the Arona will launch next year and be underpinned by the compact version of VW's MQB platform, currently used by the Audi Q2.

Note: Seat Ateca X-Perience pictured