First Look: SEAT Exeo

SEAT’s much-admired executive class Exeo saloon and ST estate range is getting a new look, and some important new engineering upgrades.

The revised Exeo ‘face’ with new bi-xenon headlights and stunning LED daytime running lights (standard on Sport, optional on SE), will make its public debut in the metal at the forthcoming Frankfurt Motor Show.

The styling enhancements, boosted by smart new alloy wheel designs, further underline the high value Exeo range’s premium look, while upgrades to interior materials – including upgraded leather on the steering wheel and revised upholstery – create a matching premium feel.

Meanwhile, improvements to the high quality SEAT saloon and estate’s 2.0 TDI common rail powerplant now see emissions cut to as little as 129 g/km*. Economy is similarly improved, too, with the Exeo saloon now being capable of as much as 57.6 mpg* on the EU’s combined cycle.

The latest upgrades to the Exeo come hard on the heels of the arrival of a new gearbox option earlier this year, with the addition of a smooth, efficient Multitronic auto/sequential manual gearbox further underlining the luxurious SEAT’s executive appeal.

The Multitronic ‘box – with its CVT-based technology and stepped ‘changes’ – offers both full auto mode and the option of sequential shifts via the sporty, steering wheel-mounted shift paddles.

Looking to 2012, the Exeo family is in for further upgrades with the addition for the first time of SEAT’s effortless Start/Stop technology on an Ecomotive model, which will help deliver even more fuel efficiency.

SEAT is targeting an ambitious CO2 figure of less than 120 g/km for the Start/Stop-equipped Exeo which will, of course, enhance its appeal to both environmentally-conscious private buyers and UK fleet managers who demand such low emissions levels from even their executive models.

Credits: wilswong