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Weekend roadtest: SEAT set sail for fleet growth
publication date: Nov 13, 2009
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author/source: David Miles
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After ten months of model updates SEAT claims to now
have one of the youngest car ranges in the world but it recognises that
it needs to expand its sales operations which have mainly attracted
retail customers to include fleet and business users as the market
comes out of recession.
Today, SEAT’s UK customers come mainly from the retail sector but
in the near future they see the emerging fleet and business sectors
accounting for up to 50% of their growing market share.
SEAT began their UK operations in 1985 and by the year 2,000 had
achieved 20,000 annual UK sales. Last year they registered 29,397 cars.
This year, following a record September new registration plate month,
the company’s share of the market had risen to 1.5% with 5,628 sales, a
record month for them. This should mean that the brand will achieve
close to 30,000 registrations this year.
But to expand further the brand, noted for its sporty models, has to
appeal to a wider buying audience and that means fleet and business
user chooser sales which are not secured by World and British Touring
Car championship successes alone.
Price, reliability performance and style are still important to buyers
but for fleet business residual values and low Benefit in Kind levels
of tax are key issues for opening the door to this area of the market.
Improvements in styling, quality, brighter interiors and a less harsh
ride are common plus points throughout the new model ranges.
The huge array of new models which made up the SEAT Mania event
included the new Ibiza ‘supermini’ three and five door hatchbacks and
this range accounts for a third of all SEATs sold in the UK. Prices
start from £9,135.
Within that range are the new FR, the Cupra and highly distinctive
Bocanegra sports models and the 1.6 TDI which has the VW new generation
common-rail diesel engine. There is also the Ibiza Ecomotive in three
and five door form with CO2 emissions down to 98g/km so it qualifies
for zero road tax.
More new models include the substantially revised Leon (from £13,500)
and Altea (from £13,700) with upgrades ranging from styling changes,
better quality interiors and new or revised engines and transmissions.
A new market sector for SEAT is the upper-medium segment, an important
one if fleet sales are to be considered and earlier in the year they
introduced their Exeo saloon models, Mondeo, Insignia, Accord, C5 and
Passat competitor. Now the Exeo ST (station wagon) with load space of
up to 1,354-litres joins the line-up. Both the new Exeo saloon and ST
models use VW’s latest 2.0-litre TDI common-rail diesel and direct
injection TSI petrol engines.
Although the Exeo models uses the latest VW family engines the cars use
a revised platform from the previous Audi A4. SEAT expects to sell a
combined total of 1,000 models in the UK in a full year. Exeo saloon
prices start from £18,155 and ST versions from £19,155.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
SEAT EXEO ST
Using a revised version of the platform from the successful previous
Audi A4 D-segment, (upper medium) range, but fitted with the latest
Volkswagen family of 2.0-litre TSI direct injection petrol and
2.0-litre TDI common-rail diesel engines, can be no bad thing when
entering a new area of the car market - especially one driven by fleet
and business user chooser sales.
Quality, price and residual values are more important reasons for fleet
managers to buy or lease than SEAT’s heritage of British and World
Touring Car Championship successes. This is a tough market sector and
the newcomer will have to compete against the established Ford Mondeo,
Vauxhall Insignia, Honda Accord, Volkswagen Passat, Citroen C5, Peugeot
407, Toyota Avensis, Mazda6 and the Renault Laguna.
Value for money the Exeo ST (station wagon) scores heavily over the
latest Audi A4 Avant, less so of course against the real volume and
discounted models from larger manufacturers. Exeo ST prices start at
£19,155, a £1,000 premium over saloon versions. There are 120, 143 and
170 PS versions of the 2.0-litre TDI turbodiesel engine to choose from
and a 200PS 2.0-litre TSI petrol unit.
Company car drivers should like the relatively low Benefit-in-Kind tax
rating the Exeo ST incurs, 19% for the majority, 21 and 24% for the
170/200PS units. Road tax too is pretty low, £125 for the majority of
them and insurance ratings are relatively modest ranging from 9E to
14E. So value for money and lower running and owning costs are
real-life reasons to buy this newcomer.
Although the Exeo ST five door, five seat estate is new, so it cannot
really be compared with a previous SEAT, all their latest model seem to
have exterior styling which is more sophisticated and less aggressive
than before. The brand appears to have grown up and SEAT realise that
not every buyer is impressed by motor sport success and not every user
wants a car with a suspension that is so hard and unforgiving it spoils
the ownership experience.
The gloomy interiors, although still predominately shades of black,
have been improved with different texture materials, most soft feel,
brightwork is evident and generally the cars look better built inside
and more grown up and acceptable for an older audience. The ride
quality and handling is still pin-sharp but nowhere near as harsh. The
Exeo ST follows this new way forward.
Depending on which engine is chosen the ST is available with S, SE, SE
Lux and Sport and they are well equipped and have good levels of safety
equipment as standard. For the price and style it is a competitive
package and generally it performs and drives well. It is not as roomy
as the latest generation of estates such as the Mondeo or new A4 but
with a body length of 4,670mm the boot volume is 442-litres increasing
to 1,354 with the rear seat backs folded down.
Standard equipment includes Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity, dual
climate control, alloy wheels, one-touch electric windows, remote
central door locking, twin halogen headlights, a good sound system with
a minimum of four speakers and anti-lock braking and electronic
stability control.
My test model, the Exeo ST 2.0 TDI 170PS Sport will not be the main
selling model but it illustrated just how efficient and smart the
newcomer is and it should easily help SEAT to establish themselves in
the all important fleet and company car sector.
MILESTONES.
SEAT Exeo ST TDI 170PS Sport £22,455.
Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder TDI common-rail turbocharged diesel, 170PS, 350Nm of torque from 1,750rpm
Performance: 139mph, 0-62mph 8.6 seconds, 47.9mpg (40.2mpg actual)
CO2 153g/km, VED Band G £150, BIK tax 21%
Insurance group: 13E
For: Executive specification, high safety kit, strong and
responsive engine, seems well made and relatively comfortable, looks
smart.
Against: Some estates in this sector offer more rear seat and load space. |
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