SEAT to name saloon EXEO

Up until now it’s gone by the codename ‘Bolero’, but the lid has been lifted on SEAT’s secretive mid-size saloon project. The Spanish firm has just released the first official details about its Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Vectra rivalling saloon and we can confirm it will be named EXEO.

Pronounced ‘Ex-ay-o’, the name stems from the Latin word exire, which means ‘to go beyond’ or ‘to go further’. Despite its lack of experience in the upper-medium market, SEAT expect the EXEO to be competitive from the off, a result of the close workings with Audi and VW engineers throughout testing.

The car also sees a change of direction for the brand as the EXEO will be the first SEAT not to be named after a Spanish city since 1981 and is symbolic of the beginning of a new period for the company.

The EXEO is scheduled to go into production later this year with the first models reaching showrooms in early 2009.