Weekend roadtest: SEAT set sail for fleet growth

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.