2009 SEAT Exeo ST 2.0L TDI 6MT (143 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Volkswagen Group desperately tried to get some money during the world financial crisis and introduced the Exeo lineup in SEAT’s lineup as a refurbished version of the Audi A4 B7, and, in 2009, it also brought the station wagon version named ST.

While it’s not uncommon to produce badge-engineered vehicles under the same umbrella of an automaker, that usually happens with vehicles from the same generation. Volkswagen took a bold approach with the Exeo since it was based on the same platform as a former Audi. Moreover, in the beginning, it didn’t consider building the vehicle as a station wagon, but since the cost difference was small, it made it anyway, but in 2009, more than six months later than the sedan version.

Sporting the same front fascia as its sedan sibling was logical for the Spanish automaker. The profile, on the other hand, was different. In the long-roof version, the Exeo featured a third row of side windows behind the rear doors and a raked-forward tailgate. It looked similar to the A4 Avant of a previous generation. The rear fascia revealed a different design, with angular-shaped taillights that emerged from the quarter panels.

As expected, the interior looked similar to the one from its sedan sibling but with differences behind the B-pillar. Thus, the split-folding bench for the rear occupants could expand the trunk area from 442 liters up to 1,184 liters.

Under the hood, the Exeo featured the new generation of diesel engines. It didn’t use the 1.9-liter TDI units, but the 2.0-liter. For the gasoline units, it used three options: a 1.6-liter, a 1.8-liter with or without a turbocharger, and a 2.0-liter naturally aspirated. All of them were mated to a standard 6-speed gearbox. A 6- or 7-speed automatic was offered as an option depending on the engine, and a CVT as well.