Category: Large Family 
Price Range: £19,855 to £23,555
Robustness of an Audi for Seat money; strong diesel engines; smooth ride.
Offers nothing new; looks bland; competent but uninspiring drive.
If you can look beyond the Seat badge, the Exeo ST drives like a premium estate.
The vast majority of Exeos will be sold with a diesel engine. One unit, the familiar but modern 2.0-litre TDI common rail diesel, is on offer in three different states of tune - 118bhp, 141bhp and 167bhp - allowing buyers to trade economy against performance.
The pick of the oil burners is the mid-range 141bhp model, which best balances on-road urgency with creditable economy and low emissions. We were impressed by the useful mid-range shove on offer from this diesel, helping it surge from 0-62mph in 9.8 seconds.
For those wanting more spirited performance, the 167bhp diesel is the better choice: its additional power shaves one second off the 0-62mph time, and the smooth engine is more flexible, which should suit drivers who do lots of motorway miles.
Only a tiny percentage of Exeo STs are expected to be sold in the UK with a petrol powerplant. However, these will be the most exciting to drive, fitted as they are with a 198bhp 2.0-litre TSI engine, whose on-boost thrust transforms this large estate into a genuinely quick autobahn basher. With the TSI under the bonnet, 0-62mph takes 7.6 seconds - surprisingly rapid for a car of this bulk - and a top speed of 146mph is possible.
Dynamically, the Exeo ST is not as sharp to drive as a Ford Mondeo Estate, but it corners safely and competently. Enter a bend too quickly, or swerve at speed, and the Exeo behaves predictably, washing wide into understeer initially, with the ESP system intervening early if the driver does not sort out the problem. It also offers the supple and smooth ride that will be familiar to premium saloon owners but is rare to find in a car in this price bracket.
