Written by: Martin Ward
Wednesday, July 01, 2009 

There is no getting away from the fact that the recently introduced Exeo has the same panels and glass as the previous model Audi A4 that was introduced in 2004. The body pressing machines were transported from Ingolstadt in Germany down to the Seat plant near Barcelona. The side profile of the Exeo is the same as the A4 but the front and rear has been Seat-ised so it does look significantly different to the Audi. The number plates on the rear are below the bumper whereas on the Audi they are on the boot lid.

 

Seat say they needed a car to compete in the D sector market and it will attract buyers from other brands who want this size of car and want quality at a sensible price. By using old pressings from an obsolete car, it seems to have been a quick, easy and reasonably inexpensive fix before presumably, an all new car is launched in a few years time.

 

The car we tested was the top of the range SE Lux which is based on the SE model but has additional specification that includes leather trim and bi-xenon lights. It is not particularly cheap at £21,040 but prices for the Exeo range start from £18,240 on the road for the 2.0 TDI CR 143 S and go up to £21,940 on the road for the 2.0 TDI CR 170 SE Lux.

  

The test car was powered by a 2.0 litre TDI CR diesel engine that produces 143ps, so it is not short on power in any conditions and goes from 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds. The car averaged at just over 40mpg according to the on board computer during the time we had it. Co2 emissions are at 143g/km.

 

The interior, like the exterior, shares many parts and components from the A4 Saloon but the dashboard is taken from the A4 Cabriolet so it looks quite sporty and appealing. The Exeo was driven by a number of people in the office and the general opinion was that it did not live up to its expectations and although some of the quality was better than expected, it lacked the feel of the sister brand on which it is based and we found it a little disappointing. We also felt that all the models in the Exeo range are slightly overpriced and we think it will date quickly.

 

For those customers who spend all weekend going around showrooms looking for a three box Saloon car with quality almost as good as an Audi but at less money, they need to go no further than their local Seat dealership.

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