Volkswagen T-Roc vs Seat Arona vs Hyundai Kona
All of these cars combine stylish SUV looks with practical interiors and surprisingly low running costs, but which is best?...
Space and practicality
Front space, rear space, seating flexibility, boot
When it comes to front leg and head room, the differences are so small they aren’t even worth pointing out. What’s important is that you won’t feel remotely cramped in any of our contenders, even if you (or your front passenger) are extremely lanky.
On the other hand, if you had to sit in the back of one of these cars on a long journey, you wouldn’t pick the Hyundai Kona. It’s the tightest for both rear leg and head room, to the point that six-footers will find their knees wedged against the seat in front. The Seat Arona provides the most room for your knees and head, but the Volkswagen T-Roc hits back with the most space for your feet.
With the rear seats in place, the T-Roc has by far the longest boot and managed to swallow six carry-on suitcases – one more than the Arona and two more than the Kona. The Kona’s boot is the shortest and shallowest; there’s enough room for a few bags of shopping but even a weekend family break would be a struggle.
Folding down the 60/40 split-folding rear seats in any of our contenders involves pushing a button next to the headrest and hauling the seatback down. Fortunately, this doesn’t leave an annoying step in the boot floor of any of these cars – assuming you’ve set the adjustable boot floors in the Arona and T-Roc to their highest settings.
Rear seats folded down and it’s the same running order: the T-Roc’s boot is biggest and the Kona’s smallest. The T-Roc is also the only one of our trio with a ski hatch and the option of an electric tailgate.
Hyundai Kona
Premium SE models come with a space saver spare wheel, which eats up luggage space. The Kona does have the broadest boot aperture, though.
Boot 334-1116 litres Suitcases 4
Seat Arona
The Arona has the narrowest boot, but you’ll fit lots more in it than you will the Kona’s. A height-adjustable boot floor comes as standard.
Boot 400-1280 litres Suitcases 5
Volkswagen T-Roc
The T-Roc has the longest and tallest boot, so unsurprisingly can swallow the most luggage. A powered tailgate is available for £320.
