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Seat EXEO, or Audi A4 under Spanish salsa

Innovation and rotation of trading engines. To buy, you need to surprise. Did you get the design of the design? Here is facelift. Tired of the filling? Create a new model. Rejoice. Car companies are about innovation, as from a cornucopia. Run. For a while. At a distance. For the result. Better. More. More convenient. Safe safers climb out of the skin. But this is all in the front edge.

Exeo translated from Latin into Russian to go out, leave, flow
Whether the case, manufacturers of the second echelon. Take, for example, the same Seat or Skoda. Companies do not hesitate to produce the outdoor life of the model, and they feel good Skoda Octavia Tour (aka Seat Toledo II (1999-2004)), which is based on the fourth golf to this day.

The weakly EXEO are equipped with 16-inch wheels. 17 inches in the initial configuration are available on modifications with motors more than 170 hp. 18-inch wheels with low-profile rubber option
Or take, for example, the SEAT ALHAMBRA minivan, which is also Volkswagen Sharan, aka Ford Galaxy of the first and second generations. And why not, since cars are in demand? In the end, in addition to the private sector, for which manufacturers are so higher than the rank, there are corporate parks, transport companies of various kinds, and finally, the latter is the latter to be less important fresh design and rich optional equipment. Low cost, including operation, for them in the first place.

In total, SEAT EXEO offers 14 body painting options
Previously, only losses were from SEAT Volkswagen. At one time there was even talking about sale. But recently, the daughter’s affairs have been recovering. The plan to expand the model range, to the implementation of which the concern began three years ago, had its fruits. The new Toledo, Altea Freetrack and the elongated XL (they are on the golf platform PQ35) went to the series. The new Ibiza nozzle Volkswagen Polo and the promising Audi A1 was born. Now the Seatovites, together with Volkswagen based on Tiguan (aka Skoda Yeti), are preparing the Tribu crossover. Of course, without hot new products, subsidiaries were ordered to go nowhere, but it is a pity to part with the successful developments of the past concern.

With such an aggregate base and production facilities, God himself ordered the SEAT to the D-class. No sooner said than done. In February of this year, the EXEO sedan appeared in the lineup of the Spanish brand, and now the EXEO ST station wagon. The latter recently we tested in business.
EXEO from the last century, a body and gibleted from the Audi A4 of the previous generation (B6/B7), which made it debuted in 2000! The purity of the lines and the optical minimalism of the A4, which were also set by the command of Peter Schreer (now it is engaged in the design of Kia; Ceed, Soul and Cerato the fruits of his vision), the Seatovites served under the Spanish salsa.

Bi-Cenne light, looking into corners, and a hatch with solar batteries, feeding the climatic installation during parking, are offered as options for Style and Sport performances
Designers naturally redrawn the front and back in the spirit of the folding design traditions of the brand. The rear -view mirrors are now on the legs, they are attached not to the triangles (by the way, they remained) in the corner of the window frames, but directly to the door panels. This is perhaps all that externally distinguishes EXEO from the old A4.

Changes in the interior were touched only by emblems on the steering wheel and digitizing devices. Although no, the EXEO interior that has gone into the civilian A4 is still different. The upper panel with round duct deflectors and the central minibox is borrowed from the A4 Cabrio, which is produced to this day and is sold in some markets (for example, USA, Russia). It looks stylish, it’s nice to the touch. However, not everything is so smooth, the interface of the navigation system remained the same, and it is not convenient to name it.

Navated multimedia with navigation, Bluetooth, connectors for connecting iPod and external USB drives are additional equipment
By the materiel, there are much more changes. The car has become safer. The hood is now more loyal to pedestrians, and to the basic six pillows (two front, two side, two curtains), another driver designed for knees was added.
The chassis is differently configured. By the way, two options for execution of the suspension in more dynamic versions of the spring and shock absorbers are tougher are offered to choose from. Two hydraulic power pages too. On modifications with a 200-horsepower gasoline engine and a 170-horsepower diesel engine, the Servotronic amplifier with a variable, depending on the speed of movement, is put as basic equipment. On weaker versions of Servotronic is also available, but only as an option.

The ergonomics of the driver’s place verified to the smallest detail is traditional for Audi. The only thing that does not agree with the folding boxing box located between the front seats. In the lower position, it interferes with the lever of the parking brake. At the back of the riders, even of medium height will feel the deficiency of the space for the legs. The extreme passengers from behind, by the way, will go with great comfort, the seat, formed for them, holds perfectly in corners
In Europe, EXEO is presented in three performance (Reference, Style and Sport) with five engines. There are three atmospheric eight -clad 1.6 gasoline (102 hp, 148 nm) plus two turbo engines 1.8 tons (150 hp, 220 nm) and 2.0 TSI (200 hp, 280 nm). Two TDI turbodiesels with a volume of two liters are characterized by traction. The weak version develops 120 hp. and 320 nm, strong 170 and 350, respectively. Ground-fuel engines, by the way, are pretty updated, instead of separate pumps, they received a common fuel ramp and a new control system for all cylinders.

Cozy pile on the sides and half is wonderful, but not practical. Nevertheless, a couple of dirty shovels or wet skis can be transported, a folding floor can be removed, under it a cellar-organized cellar made of easily washing black plastic. Scarb can be dissected on numerous niches. The hatch in the back is equipped with a case for long -meters, the salon will always be clean. In the underground, the dock

It is a pity that we will not see this abundance to Russia will supply modifications with 1.6 and 1.8 gasoline engines, equipped with mechanical six -speed gearboxes. But this, however, is only at first. A little later, the Ceatovites may bring modifications with a powerful two -liter engine, diesel engines and an automatic hydrotransformer box (it will appear on European sedans in mid -autumn). We have two sedan and station wagon variations, as in Europe. The start of Russian sales of the first is planned in mid -autumn, the second at the end.

The triangle of the emergency stop is stored inside the lid of the trunk, get it a pair of trifles. The niches of the inner pens are made on both sides. On the plastic panel of the fifth door of a pair of comfortable hooks, you can hang two one and a half kilogram stratum avski while you understand the belongings in the trunk
And what is EXEO in the case? I managed to try two gasoline versions. A hundred and two horses of a 1.6-liter eight-valve atmosphere is clearly not enough for the station wagon. With this engine, the Spaniard can safely make a diagnosis of hypodynamia. For corporate parks and undemanding motorists, a machine with such an engine will match. The audible chassis (PL46 platform) with the front and rear multi -strokes showed itself from the best side. Exeo holds a straight line well and willingly stands on the arc. The rolls of a comfortable version can be described as moderate. Strict ESP (by the way, it is completely disconnected) does not allow to slip, and correctly, so reliable.

The Audi A4 of the previous generation during tests for destruction according to the Euro NCAP method gained four stars. For modern representatives of the D-class, this is not enough. Although, seven airbags in EXEO (A4 had a maximum of six) around the perimeter, of course, good
With a turbocharged 200-horsepower TSI (earlier he wore an abbreviation TFSI) EXEO already has acceptable dynamics, but there is still not enough traction at low speeds (despite the declared maximum moment developed at 1800 rpm). The engine begins to drag well from about 3500 rpm. For demanding drivers, this option will be more preferable, especially since there is already a hard sports suspension, which provides more confident behavior in corners and gives the body much less to roll.
The initial price of Seat EXEO with a sedan body in Europe is 22,000 euros. This is a car performed by Reference, equipped with seven airbags, an oscillatory ESP system and a two -zone climate. The EXEO ST station wagon is more expensive, its starting cost is 25,300 euros.

Expensive? Rather, yes, when compared with similarly equipped D-class sharks. Look, the same Ford Mondeo (sedan) with similar options and capabilities in Europe costs about 24,000 euros, Mazda6 25,000 plan and predict something specific in sales is still difficult. Time will put everything in its place. It is important for us to make the right choice and not to lose, seat to grab at least some piece from a pie called the segment D. The beginning of the thorny path is laid, and there you look through the heels of the Seat more or less independent middle class. Superb has a Czech. Why are the Spaniards worse?
Text: Vitaly Kabyshev
Photo by the author