SEAT Arona TGI: a CNG SUV that is cheaper to run than a diesel or a hybrid

The SEAT Arona TGI is the first SUV in its category to run on compressed natural gas (CNG), and becomes the fourth model in the brand’s TGI family.

SEAT continues to bet on natural gas, and at the Paris Motor Show it presents the new SEAT Arona TGI. So, if in the road test of the SEAT Ibiza TGI we already gave you five reasons to switch to natural gas, now you have one more: you can also choose an SUV, the body style of the moment. An alternative that joins the LPG SUVs already on the market.

With the arrival of the new Arona TGI, SEAT has one of the broadest ranges of CNG cars on the market. There are now four options offered by the Spanish brand for those who want to enjoy the benefits of CNG: the Ibiza TGI, the León, the Mii and the new Arona.

Arona TGI: Up to 400 km of range in CNG mode

Developed and manufactured in Martorell, the SEAT Arona TGI uses the 1.0 three-cylinder petrol engine, which delivers a maximum output of 90 CV between 4,500 and 5,800 rpm. Maximum torque of 160 Nm is available from 1,900 rpm. The standard transmission is a six-speed manual gearbox. Compared with the petrol Arona, the Arona TGI includes the elements needed in its conversion to run on natural gas.

This mainly affects the installation of the three fuel tanks for storing the CNG, which are fitted under the boot floor, plus the corresponding pressure sensors, regulator and pipework to carry the gas to the engine. The engine also has some internal modifications to run on gas, such as new piston rings, reinforced valve seats and a lighter turbo.

As is usual in natural gas models, the car always starts first in petrol mode, and CNG mode is activated automatically once the required temperature is reached. From then on, the Arona TGI only uses petrol if the gas tanks run out. The latter have a capacity of 14.3 kg of CNG. This provides 400 km of range, to which another 160 km in petrol mode must be added. The Arona TGI reaches a top speed of 172 km/h and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 12.8 seconds.

Careful, the Arona TGI is NOT a hybrid car!

SEAT insists in its campaign to promote its TGI models on calling them hybrids. But don’t be mistaken: neither the SEAT Arona TGI nor the brand’s other CNG models are hybrid vehicles. The latter are those that have an electric motor that assists the combustion engine and can drive the wheels on its own for short periods of time.

Then there are the mild hybrids, in which the electric motor occasionally assists the combustion engine but never drives the vehicle on its own. The Arona TGI has a single engine, which can run on either petrol or natural gas. But it is not a hybrid car! It does, however, enjoy the advantages of the latter in terms of the DGT environmental label, as it carries the ECO badge. According to SEAT, the Arona TGI’s potential savings compared with an equivalent diesel version is 30 percent, and 20 percent compared with a hybrid.

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SEAT Arona TGI image gallery

Technical specifications of this car

CrossoverSEAT Arona18 versions · from 23,060 €