Category: Large Family 
Price Range: £18,855 to £22,555
Torquey engine, reasonably priced, the solidity of an A4 for Seat money.
Driving position too low, noisy and rumbly engine, a bit dull.
Common rail engine delivers decent performance and a nice dollop of torque but its poor refinement lets the Exeo down.
To the untrained eye it's hard to tell the difference between the new Seat Exeo and the current Audi A4. The front and rear light clusters and, of course, the badge give the game away.
With this in mind the ordinary family saloon buyer looking to cut costs may consider the Exeo a wise choice. Indeed, the 2.0 TDI PS Sport we tested costs £19,230 whereas the equivalent Audi A4 TDI retails at £23,425 - over £4,000 more expensive.
This car, however, is based on the previous-generation A4, first built in 2001. It's not a cynical rebadging exercise, though: Seat has taken the trouble of changing 30% of the parts.
It's not a direct rival to the current A4 anyway - it's taking on the likes of the Ford Mondeo and the Vauxhall Insignia, and it's hard not to be seduced by the thought that you are getting Audi quality for Seat money. Prices start at £17,735 for the generously equipped entry-level Exeo and that's pretty competitive when you compare it the base-spec Mondeo which starts at just over £17,390. It's here the Exeo starts to make sense.
The Exeo uses the new generation of Volkswagen engines so it's not been short-changed. The old noisy, lethargic and unrefined pumpe duse diesel engines makes way for a torquey 2.0-litre common-rail engine and there's also a smooth-revving 2.0-litre in the line-up.
So are you really getting Audi quality at Mondeo money? Read on to find out.
