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SEAT Exeo ST 2.0 Sport TDI 170PS road test

The Exeo is SEAT’s flagship model and the new Exeo ST (Sport Tourer) is the estate version of the mid-sized saloon. With prices starting at £19,155, the Exeo ST is based on the Audi A4, although equivalent A4 Avants cost over £4,000 more. The new ST also heralds improved safety and comfort for the entire Exeo range.

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Performance

The Exeo ST is available with 120PS, 143PS or 170PS 2-litre common rail 4-cyl diesels as well as a 200PS 2.0 TSI petrol engine, all with a 6-speed manual transmissions as standard. I drove the 170PS TDI variant which produces a healthy 258lb/ft of torque from 1,750 to 2,500rpm and found throttle response and power to be more than adequate for all normal A-road and motorway use. I didn’t hitch a trailer or caravan to the rear, but I’d wager this engine would cope quite easily with towing too. Quoted performance is 0-62mph in 8.6 secs with a top speed of 139mph.

Ride & Handling

The Exeo has advanced multi-link suspension front and rear while the Sport version has more sophisticated shock absorber units that allow for greater control and comfort. The Exeo ST Sport also features a speed-related Servotronic steering system that provides more involving and precise steering. I have no complaints about the suspension, ride quality or steering – all were well up the standards of comfort and body control that you’d expect in a mid-sized executive car – although I did notice a fair degree of road noise on all but the smoothest of road surfaces.

Build Quality & Reliability

Following my a brief test drive it wouldn’t be right to make definitive statements about quality, but based on this and previous, longer-term experiences with other current SEAT models, I’ve no cause to suspect that anything is amiss. The Exeo ST, along with almost all other SEATs, is manufactured in the company’s ultra modern factory near Barcelona where the latest production techniques are used and fit, finish, feel and quality of plastics and materials are all up to par. Of the 29 manufacturers in the ’09 JD Power Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study SEAT scored an industry average of 781 points.

Safety & Security

The Exeo has yet to be put through Euro NCAP’s crash test procedure but as a reference the Audi A4 saloon (on which the Exeo is based) carries a 5-star rating for occupant protection. With six airbags as standard, the Exeo is the first SEAT with a two-stage front airbag and there’s the option of thorax airbags in the rear. Other systems include ABS, traction control, ESP with EBA emergency braking, tyre pressure monitoring, active head restraints, and ISOFIX child seat anchoring with Top Tether. Security measures include remote central locking with deadlocks, an immobiliser and a volumetric alarm with tilt sensor.

Space & Practicality

The Exeo ST has ample passenger space and comfort for this class of car in both front and rear, although of the seven other models that SEAT UK quotes as being the Exeo ST’s main rivals, five of them have significantly more rear loadspace. For the record, the Exeo ST has a minimum of 442-litres extending to a max of 1,354-litres while the Mondeo Estate, for example, has 542/1,733-litres. The Exeo’s back seat can be split/folded 33/66 and there are two storage pockets on the front seat backrests, front seat storage bins plus a rear centre armrest with storage and cup holders.

Ownership & Value

The 170PS TDI Sport costs a competitive £22,455 and for that you get dual-zone climate control, one-touch powered windows (f&r), rain sensing wipers, light sensing headlamps, an 8-speaker audio system, Bluetooth and USB connectivity, a trip computer, cruise control, rear parking sensors, 18-inch alloys and a 3yr/60,000m mechanical warranty with a two-year Europe-wide rescue service. Fuel consumption is quoted as 47.9mpg combined, along with 153g/km of CO2 (£150 annual road tax), benefit-in-kind at 21% and group 13 (1-20) or 27 (1-50) insurance. So, the Exeo ST isn’t as capacious as the Mondeo Estate, but with the equivalent Ford currently costing £940 more, those extra loadspace litres had better be worth it.

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