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SEAT prices the old Audi A4 new Exeo
Click above to view a high-resolution SEAT Exeo image gallery
When SEAT announced it was to launch a new flagship that was little more than an old Audi A4 with some new trim, we were puzzled. Everyone was puzzled. Was this Volkswagen's big plan to revive its Spanish subsidiary? Indeed it was, as we quickly discovered when we got to Paris to find it sitting there right in front of us. And now, the re-schnozzed A4 has a pricetag.
The Exeo will be offered in four trim levels and with three different engine options, including 141- and 168-horsepower versions of the group's common-rail turbo-diesel, as well as a 198 hp turbo four gasoline engine, each mated to a six-speed manual transmission. So, just how much will it cost overseas buyers to buy an old Audi with a less prestigious nameplate? Pricing in the UK starts at £17,740 (around $25,600 USD). That's a couple grand shy of what an A4 costs in the British market (or the list price what a then-new A4 ran a couple of years ago).
Gallery: Paris 2008: SEAT Exeo
Gallery: SEAT Exeo
[Source: Auto Express]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Other Man 6:04PM (12/30/2008)
Dare I say it has more style inside and out than the old A4 on which it's based?
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bhtooefr 7:01PM (12/30/2008)
Dash is out of the A4 Cabriolet, which is why it looks different, FWIW.
Brad 6:05PM (12/30/2008)
It may be ugly on the outside but those seats sure are awesome, as is the shift knob...
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why not the LS2LS7? 6:08PM (12/30/2008)
Why were you puzzled? Is it because you (like many Americans) don't realize that VW is the king of badge engineering?
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3seriesisking 6:12PM (12/30/2008)
Pitiful...
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Tsunami Racer 6:15PM (12/30/2008)
this is sort of what VW does in china. just take old models and slap on some redesigned lights and bumpers and tah dah! a whole new car for a whole new market. they have 25 year old VW Passat/Santana/Quantums still being sold with only slight modifications.
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why not the LS2LS7? 7:17PM (12/30/2008)
The most recent Santana is no longer a 1980 Quantum I don't think.
Tony2X 9:50PM (12/30/2008)
It is still available and still based on the mid 80s Quantum, mostly though it is sold to taxi fleets and the police...
http://www.csvw.com/csvw/english/cpjs/santana3000/index.shtml
010111 1:52AM (12/31/2008)
not just china. only need to look a bit north of the US to see the same thing being done.
you can buy brand-new MkIV Golfs and Jettas still. just with redesigned front clips and rears.
the rear on the new MkIV Jetta actually looks pretty nice. the front looks like a squished Passat and doesn't fit the greenhouse lines at all really.
http://www.mycityjetta.com/
JMC3 6:25PM (12/30/2008)
Looks like they blandified it so it wouldn't steal any thunder from the current Audi A4.
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S 6:30PM (12/30/2008)
I happen to agree with Jared on this one. It does look like the blandified it.
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Mark H. 6:37PM (12/30/2008)
Kind of an odd strategy but it is still a good looking car, IMO. Nothing wrong with that gen A4.
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tankd0g 6:55PM (12/30/2008)
After hitting a home run with the new Leon (another badge engineered car), they come out with this. Oh well.
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HeyHuub 11:25AM (12/31/2008)
The Leon has been out since 2004, so i wouldn't call that exacly new.
tankd0g 6:37PM (12/31/2008)
The K1 is a 2008 model. It's the new one that looks good.
Alex 7:05PM (12/30/2008)
who gives a flying f**k if its a badge engineered car? its an older car that is still very competitive with what is on the market and its cheaper than the competition. i think its a great way to save money (as in not having to make a new car) and make the model more profitable. a case of bad badge engineering is GM with its aveo/g3 and cobalt/g5, etc...those are the exact same cars, minus some different plastic bumpers, that are competing against each other in the same market...the exeo and a4 will be competing against each other, but someone that wants an a4 gets a new a4 and someone that can't afford a new a4 but still wants one gets an exeo. IMO, there is nothing wrong with this.
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why not the LS2LS7? 7:18PM (12/30/2008)
Yes. Of course. Badge engineering is good when companies you like do it. It's bad when GM does it.
Alex 7:22PM (12/30/2008)
sure...explain to me how GM's badge engineering in any good? how does the g3/aveo duo make any sense. how is it profitable to have two of the exact same cars compete against each other?
Joce03 7:27PM (12/30/2008)
It's not about WHO does it (badge engineering), but rather how its done. The NEW A4 and this SEAT are not competitors because they are at different price points. That's not the case if you cross shop a Cobalt and a Pursuit.
StickShift 7:35PM (12/30/2008)
Selling last generations luxury car as this generations family car doesn't seem to bad to me. The last A4 was a fine car, and if I could buy it for a few grand off the Audi price as a VW, I'd be tempted.
Badge engineering is bad when you spread around the same cheaply designed and questionably thought out products between brands. This is what GM did throughout the 80s and 90s and has nearly killed them.
When the products are world class, why not spread them around a bit?