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Do you remember the SEAT Marbella? This Spanish Fiat Panda was the predecessor of the Arosa in the 1990s. What an advance this SEAT Arosa turned out to be! Curious about this model? In this article, we tell you everything you need to know about the SEAT Arosa.

This new model was built between 1997 and 2004. The first models rolled off the assembly line at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg. Later, production moved to the SEAT plant in Spain. The Fiat Panda, Peugeot 106, Citroën Saxo and Suzuki Alto were major competitors to the Arosa.

The Arosa takes its name from the town of Vilagarcía de Arousa, in the Spanish province of Pontevedra. Fun fact: Arosa owners can proudly say that their car was designed by the same man who once designed the Bugatti Veyron: Slovakian Jozef Kabaň.

Engines SEAT Arosa

The SEAT Arosa came with small, fuel-efficient gasoline engines. You had a choice of 1.0-liter (with 50 hp) or a 1.4 (first as an 8-valve with 60 hp, later as a 16-valve with 100 hp). A five-speed manual transmission was the standard; a four-speed automatic was an option with the 1.4.

Diesel

Of the Volkswagen Lupo, you may remember that extremely fuel-efficient 3L version. An ultra-efficient 1.2-liter three-cylinder turbodiesel that could travel 100 kilometers on three liters of diesel. The SEAT Arosa did not get a super-efficient version. Available though were a 1.4 TDI and 1.7 SDI (without turbo), but they remained fairly scarce in the Netherlands.

Facelift SEAT Arosa

In 2000, the SEAT Arosa received a substantial facelift. The Spanish automaker gave the revamped model a true SEAT look: a slightly more muscular front end with tighter headlights and, for the time, typical SEAT taillights behind clear glass. This is one of the more successful facelifts, if you ask us. Also coming were improved 1.4 engines, both gasoline (100 hp) and diesel (75 hp).

Interior

The interior of the SEAT Arosa also improved significantly. Instead of a 1990s design, the Spanish city car received a fresh cockpit with modern counters and a new steering wheel. Several versions were available, from the spartan Select to more fun-equipped versions such as the Stella, Signo and Sport.

Dimensions SEAT Arosa

In terms of dimensions, the SEAT Arosa is very reminiscent of the more recent SEAT Mii. The Arosa is 3,531 mm long (10 mm shorter than the Mii), 1,639 mm wide (2 mm shorter than the Mii) and 1,460 mm high (20 mm lower than the Mii). Weighing about 880 kilograms, the SEAT Arosa was nice and light for a mature and safe city car, comparable to the SEAT Mii (840 kilograms). Perhaps somewhat awkward as a city car: the SEAT Arosa has only been available as a three-door hatchback.

Sales numbers SEAT Arosa

In total, more than 175,000 units of this compact SEAT were produced. Significantly fewer than copies of the Volkswagen Lupo were sold: 480,000 units.

Special versions

The Volkswagen Lupo was also sold as a GTI starting in 2000. A sporty model with 125-hp four-cylinder engine, 15-inch Bathurst alloy wheels and a sporty interior. You would say: then so can SEAT, as the sporty brand within the Volkswagen group. But alas, such a sports version of the SEAT Arosa never came.

At the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show, SEAT was still teasing us with the sporty SEAT Arosa Racer and more luxurious Arosa City Cruiser. Those concept cars, unfortunately, never went into production.

Points of Attention SEAT Arosa

Are you considering a SEAT Arosa? Our advice is to get one with the more powerful 1.4 gasoline engine. The smallest motorcycles actually have too little power to easily keep up in today’s traffic.

When you purchase your SEAT Arosa, please note the following points of interest:

• Does the car have a comprehensive service history? Check that the timing belt was replaced in a timely manner.
• The engine temperature sensor is right under the thermostat. In short, a small coolant leak can cause this sensor (and therefore the engine) to become disrupted.
• A regular shortcoming: rattles from the undercarriage. This is often a sign that new rubbers need to be installed.

Successor

Volkswagen came out with the Brazil-built Volkswagen Fox in 2005 as the successor to the Lupo. SEAT could not switch to this new model in time, so the Arosa did not get a successor. It wasn’t until the Volkswagen UP! came out in 2011 that SEAT again had a small city car in its model lineup: the SEAT Mii.

Tuning SEAT Arosa

In its lifetime, the SEAT Arosa became a favorite object for tuners. Several brands have gone out of their way to come up with spoiler packages, different wheels and flavored accessories for inside and outside of this snazzy Spanish city car. With this car, it really doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. In short, the SEAT Arosa offers every possibility to make the car your own.