Ten Second Review

SEAT's Exeo saloon and estate models borrow heavily from Audi to bring to bring impressive standards of quality to the medium range Mondeo sector at affordable prices. The latest round of improvements refresh the styling, boost quality, improve economy and cut emissions with Stop/Start technology to follow in 2012. Smarter, more efficient and boasting a higher quality aura, this Spanish contender looks stronger value than ever.

Background

Let's start with the basics. This is a straightforward piece of platform recycling, SEAT's VW Group partner Audi having donated their second generation A4 saloon and Avant estate for the purpose. The Spanish maker is a mite irritated when you point out that this is a design dating back to 2001. The MK2 A4 did, after all, retail in the £20,000-£30,000 bracket on Audi showroom floors as recently as 2007, out-selling compact executive Mercedes and BMW rivals, so SEAT's provision of the same car for much less money in the theoretically less demanding Mondeo medium range sector ought to satisfy most. In any case, as the Spaniards point out, over 30% of the parts are different in the Exeo, including an up-to-the minute range of the hi-tech engines used in pricier modern Audis. The revised version we're looking at here aims to underline its value proposition with crisper front-end styling incorporating new headlights and daytime LEDs, upgraded interior materials, including a leather-rimmed steering wheel, a new design of alloy wheel and improved economy with lower emissions for the 2.0 TDI powered diesel models.

Driving Experience

Under the bonnet, most Exeo buyers choose a common rail 2.0-litre TDI diesel, offered in either 120, 143 or 170PS guises. Though a little noisy at idling or low speeds, this unit is otherwise pretty outstanding. Pulling power in almost any gear is superb and sixty from rest in the 143PS version that most opt for takes just 9.2s, quicker than the identically-engined MK3 Audi A4 that will cost you over £4,000 more. Such is the price of badge equity. It's the 2.0 TDI 143 variant that now gets the option of a continuously variable multitronic gearbox. For dynamic drivers, it offers both a Sport programme that results in gear shifts at higher revs, and a Manual mode controlled via steering wheel-mounted shift paddles. If you want outright pace, then you might be one of the minority who could end up opting for the petrol 2.0 TSI model, which has a Golf GTI-derived engine good enough to get you to sixty in well under eight seconds on the way to a maximum speed of nearly 150mph. Unlike the old Audi version of this design, buyers don't get a 4WD option, but otherwise, the best bits of the old A4 have all been retained and improved upon. The advanced multi-link suspension for example, has been tweaked so that buyers can choose from either 'Comfort' or 'Sport' settings and Sport-trimmed models get offer the option of lowered ride height and stiffer suspension. Go for the stiff set-up and you get a well controlled driving experience but one that can be fidgety over poor surfaces at low speeds. At the helm, the Audi Servotronic steering system has been re-programmed for a sharper feel on the road.

Design and Build

SEAT has had something of a hit and miss record of design over the last few years, their efforts ranging from the handsome Leon to the oddball Toledo. Perhaps then, the dash of conservatism necessitated by the Exeo's Audi-derived shape is no bad thing. The differences over the German brand's MK2 A4 are a little more distinct now with the move to bi-xenon headlight rimmed with LED daytime running lights (standard on the Sport, optional on the SE), though perhaps harder to distinguish from the current Audi line-up. Compact executive cars like Audi's A4 and BMW's 3 Series were - and still are - smaller than the Mondeo-class models in the sector below, so it wasn't surprising to find that original versions of this Exeo didn't feel as large inside as some medium range market contemporaries - a Mondeo being 183mm longer and 114mm wider. To try and compensate, SEAT has in recent times made small but significant revisions to the front seat back and rear bench designs which have resulted in an appreciably larger rear passenger compartment. Thanks to the redesigned front seats and rear bench, room in the back has now increased by 44 millimetres without any sacrifice in seating comfort or luggage space. It's made a difference, but not to the point where three fully-sized adults could comfortably be accommodated on the back seats for long periods. Out back, there's a decent 460-litre boot. Go for the ST estate version and that figure falls to 442 litres but of course if you're not fully passengered-up, this variant offers the additional option of flipping forward the 60/40 split-folding rear seats and freeing up a total of 1354-litres of space.

Market and Model

List prices suggest that you'll be paying in the £19,000 to £25,000 bracket for your Exeo, with a premium of around £1,000 for the ST estate version. The choice is only between saloon or estate, so unlike this car's immediate rivals, there's no hatchback version available. Those asking prices might not sound especially cheap but taking equipment levels into account, they represent very slightly less (around 3% less SEAT reckons) than you'd be looking at for comparably-powered diesel versions of medium range sector stalwarts like Ford's Mondeo or Vauxhall's Insignia. If you're interested, the windscreen sticker offers a saving over £4-5,000 over a comparable Audi A4 saloon, which offers pretty much the same technology in a package of almost exactly the same size. Perhaps a more relevant comparison is that, rather appropriately, a new Exeo will cost you about the same as a year-old Audi A4. So new or used? There's now a very real choice. Go the SEAT route and you'll probably get a better equipped car for the money. All saloon and ST estate models receive cruise control, dual-zone climate air conditioning, a USB connector for the stereo, audio switchgear on the steering wheel, electric windows and mirrors, front foglamps and alloy wheels. Safety-wise, there are front, side and curtain airbags, plus a driver's knee airbag, anti-whiplash front head restraints, ABS brakes and ESP stability control to help on slippery surfaces or if you enter a corner too fast. One nice option is a sunroof that uses solar panels to operate the ventilation system so that even if you're away from the car, cool air will be drawn in from the outside without draining the battery, in an effort to keep the cabin from heating up like a greenhouse.

Cost of Ownership

The modern engines in the Exeo should return healthy fuel economy and low emissions. The 170PS 2.0 TDI unit produces just 148g/km, 12g/km more than the 143PS unit and both variants should return around 55mpg on the combined cycle. Buyers choosing the 2.0 TSI petrol engine can expect economy of 40.9mpg plus 159g/km emissions. Insurance groups range between 21 and 27. Residuals should be three or four percentage points above an equivalent Ford Mondeo at between 38-40% of original value after three years or 36,000 miles. There's a three year/60,000 mile warranty and servicing intervals are at 20,000 miles with an oil change every 10,000 miles. Do less than 10,000 miles a year and you'll need an inspection service (which includes an oil change) every twelve months.

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