A car that answers all questions

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Friday, August 20, 2010

AS Spain’s only really serious motor manufacturer, Seat has suffered many of the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune down the years, but in recent times and under the stewardship of the Volkswagen Group, it has enjoyed a fairly good time of it and I, for one, have certainly enjoyed driving cars such as the Altea, the Ibiza and the Leon.

They have demonstrated that even as the poor relation in the VW scheme of things, it is still capable of taking some of the cast-offs from either Wolfsburg and Ingolstadt and turning them into appealing and value for money products.

This week’s main test focuses on one such model — the new Exeo from Seat.

Now, the Exeo is effectively a reworking of the last generation of the Audi A4 and while this was obviously an expedient move given that the company needed a swift entrée into the saloon car market at a time when this was the largest hole in its model range.

But then, the A4 — even if it is the old one — is not a bad place to start if you wanted the base for a very decent saloon contender and Seat has done an excellent job of tarting it up and making it into a credible and extremely good value for money repmobile cum family car.

I have to say I was keenly anticipating driving this car for some time and the reality was not in any way an anti-climax. Sure, the styling might not be as glamorous as you’d have liked and the interior is relatively unexciting (if of very decent quality), but from a practical point of view this car answers pretty much any question you might have.

The test car was powered by the “lesser” of the 2.0 TDi engines on offer from Seat in the Exeo range. This is the 118 bhp version and while it boasts the smallest power output of all the turbodiesels it is still a decent partner on the road.

There is plenty of low-end torque (290 Nm from 1750 rpm) and the six speed box helps to extract the maximum from the engine. The 0-100kph dash is achieved in 10.6 seconds and top speed is just shy of 200kph, while the fuel consumption return works out at a very impressive 5.2 l/100 km.

Given that the car is based on the A4 you would expect it to be a sharp handler, but the fact it that Seat has tweaked what was already there and turned up with a car which is pin sharp and very stable in corners.

The driving position is enhanced by the height adjustable seat and the steering column which is adjustable for rake and reach.

There are a lot of small fiddly switches in the centre console (adapted from the last A4 Cabrio) and this does not make for easy assimilation, a fact which is not helped by the general drabness of the grey backdrop.

But the quality of the materials used is of a very high standard throughout. Everything is very solid in construction and has a definite built-to-last feel about it. The materials may not quite be of Audi standard, but they are not far off it.

We tried the fairly basic ‘Reference’ version of the car — albeit fitted with 16” alloys which are not standard — but there was still plenty of kit, including all round electric windows and mirrors, bi-zone climate control, cruise control, Bluetooth and MP3 input.

In terms of interior space, there is loads of it and while the Exeo might not be up to the standards, say, of the Mondeo or the Skoda Superb, it is still a comfortable and roomy place to be and the boot is a decent size too.

Safety too is well looked after what with ESP and electronic braking aids being in place, alongside a raft of airbags and whiplash front head restraints.

All told, this is a very decent package and while it might appear that Seat has had to beg, steal and borrow from others in the VW Group, it has nevertheless made a good job of it.

Seat has told us that the next Exeo will be a completely bespoke car and will not rely so heavily on the hand-me-downs from others.

But, even taking that on board and looking forward to some special edition models which Seat have planned for the Irish market, you would have to say that the Exeo represents outstanding value for what it offers, particularly so if you are scrapping something to get into it.

A very good car indeed.