Insurance Group: 21
MPG: 62.8
CO2: 119
0-62 Mph: 10.9 secs
BHP: 118 BHP
Range: 967 miles
PROS: Excellent value for money, handles well, practical interior, superb build quality.
CONS: Engine choice is limited, leg room is a bit tight in the back.
The cabin is very pleasing with a nice quality feel to it and all the controls and switchgear are laid out well. Forward visibility is good and finding a good driving position is easy thanks to the fully adjustable seats.
This 121bhp, 2.0-litre diesel engine from Seat gives adequate performance going from 0-62mph in 10.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 122mph. It’s got plenty of pulling power across the range, producing 214lb-ft of torque. There’s a 2.0-litre TSI petrol version which is faster and more potent, but it’s also more expensive to run.
For a relatively big car the Exeo ST handles well. Striking a balance between a sporty or comfortable drive, the Exeo ST gives excellent grip, precise steering and good cornering ability while maintaining its composure. The suspension is firm but soaks up any bumps nicely. The Sport suspension rides a little lower and is noticeably firmer and even better at coping with twisty roads.
Inside it’s a nice quiet ride with road and engine noise well suppressed in the cabin making it easy to cruise on the motorway or open road for hours.
Yes, it’s familiar looking but an effort has been made to make it look part of the Seat family with a new grille, and front and rear lights. Overall though, the unmistakeable clean classy lines of the old Seat are still present.
The Seat seems to be loaded with goodies – and it’s all good quality too. This ST S version comes with stability control, alloy wheels, climate control, electric door mirrors, electric front windows, cruise control, alarm, immobiliser, CD+MP3 connectivity and Bluetooth as standard.
SE trim gets you additional rear parking sensors, rain sensitive wipers, automatic lights, as well as a leather steering wheel and gearknob. The Sport trim gets you sports suspension and seats, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The range topping SE Lux comes with black leather upholstery and adaptive xenon headlights.
Opening the tailgate gives you access to 442-litres of space, without moving any of the rear seats. With the rear seats out of the way that extends to an impressive 1,354-litres which should be more than enough for the average family. The rear seat splits 60/40 which is useful, and the boot includes four cargo hooks to secure loads and a 12V socket. Roof-rails also come included giving you yet another carrying option.
Euro NCAP awarded an overall four-star rating in their crash-tests of the Exeo ST and standard safety kit includes six airbags and Isofix child seat mounting points. Stability control to help in the case of skidding, and anti-whiplash headrests are also fitted. Anti-theft measures include an alarm and immobiliser.
The Audi on which the Exeo is based had a good history of reliability so there’s not much reason to doubt the build quality of the Exeo ST, and it may even be better, benefitting from the re-engineering work carried out by Seat. The Exeo ST comes with Seat’s three-year, 60,000 mile warranty and with regular service intervals of 10,000 miles.
Excellent build quality, a generous level of equipment and a £20,650 price tag make the Exeo ST seem like good value when thinking of smart, upmarket estates like the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz and Audi A4. It’s much cheaper and comes with more equipment.
Diesel models are relatively cheap to run, and this 2.0 TDI CR has an average fuel economy of 56.5mpg which is good. Group 21 insurance, CO2 emissions of 132g/km putting it in VED band E for Road Tax are reasonable too for the type of car.
It’s definitely one to also consider instead of the normal Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Insignia options.
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The Seat Exceo ST may well look familiar - and it should. It’s basically a tweaked version of the old Audi A4. With a bit of reworking of the front and rear and a new engine from VW, it makes the b...
If you think it looks familiar, that’s because it is. The Seat Exeo ST is based on the Audi A4 and uses many of the same components as Audi. It is a practical estate car with loads of room for five...
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