Four-door SEAT’s badge of honour

The badge on the boot of SEAT’s first foray into the large saloon market will be Exeo.

Bosses have revealed the name – which is pronounced  ‘Ex-ay-o’ – ahead of the car’s expected debut at the Paris Motor Show in October. The four-door will go on sale in the UK next summer.

The only official image is this sketch released by SEAT, which we published in Issue 967. What is known is that the car is based on the previous-generation Audi A4.

The new car has been developed quickly using the A4’s chassis and running gear, and it is being launched to give the Spanish firm a presencein a different market sector. So the Exeo name is wholly appropriate for that goal – it stems from the Latin word ‘exire’, which means ‘to go beyond’.  

And although there’s no official word on engines, it’s likely to feature four-cylinder petrol and diesel powerplants. “While this area of the market is shrinking, it’s still huge,” said a SEAT spokesman. “In Europe, it’s bigger than the convertible or SUV sectors. Developing the Exeo is a quick way to enter this class with a credible car.” Designed to rival the likes of the Ford Mondeo, the Exeo will help raise SEAT’s profile in the crucial fleet market.