PARIS — Seat, the Spanish arm of the Volkswagen group, has tapped sibling Audi for its first premium model, an upmarket sedan called Exeo that is based heavily on the previous-generation A4. The car made its debut at the 2008 Paris Auto Show.
Other than a new face with Seat styling cues, the Exeo (pronounced ey-ay-oh) doesn't appear to have drifted far from its Audi roots. But the car gives Seat a critical entry in the $25,000-plus midsize family sedan segment in Europe.
Among the Exeo's features are adaptive headlamps, a twin-zone automatic climate control system, satellite navigation and a sunroof with solar cells to power the ventilation system.
The Paris showcar used VW's turbocharged 197-horsepower 2.0-liter TFSI four-cylinder engine, which delivers 207 pound-feet of torque. When the car goes on sale in early 2009, it will offer a range of three gasoline and three diesel direct-injection engines.
The new sedan will be followed in short order by an Exeo wagon based on the previous A4 Avant.
What this means to you: Once again, one VW division appears to be stepping on the toes of another. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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