SEAT's sales offensive is sweeping into a new sector.
After making an impact with small cars for private buyers, the Spanish importer is now targeting fleets and businesses with its mid-sized Exeo.
In its sights are the Laguna, Peugeot 407, Toyota Avensis, Citroen C5, Mazda6 and Insignia and firms who need to put their company car users into cheaper models but not skimp on the features they have enjoyed up to now in executive models.
It is a significant part of the company's plan to gradually ramp up sales over the next decade to 800,000 units annually, principally by selling more models, selling into more countries and more sectors.
In Europe the Exeo's market accounts for three million cars annually and in the UK it's likely to add up to 1,500 models a year and hopefully 1.4% of the sector. It will launch as a saloon with an estate, shown at the Geneva Motor Show this March, coming to Britain in July.
SEAT's newcomer is brimming with standard features including sophisticated sound and safety systems, advanced sporting suspension and the latest generation of petrol and diesel engines. The Exeo has Bluetooth connectivity and availability of double-glazed side windows for additional refinement and security.
The fleet market is also being targeted for the first time by SEAT and the Exeo will be available with low rental costs, offers good economy, healthy residuals and monthly leasing from under £260 for a three years and 30,000 miles agreement.
SEAT's newly appointed head of fleet and business sales, Nick Andrews, says that selling the Exeo to fleets will be a new challenge for its 107-strong dealer network.
'It's no secret that up to now SEAT sales have largely been to retail or private buyers but the Exeo is essentially a fleet car and the our dealers are going to have to go out to the fleets rather than let their buyers come to them. It's going to be a whole new ball game for them," he says.
'We have over a 100 dealers around the country and I want to see us having a fleet presence in all the major urban conurbations.'
The quality feel is immediately apparent in the newcomer, which is developed from the platform of the Audi A4.
Close the door of the SEAT Exeo and you open up a new experience in management motoring.
In the cost conscious climate of company cars, the new mid-sized SEAT exudes quality from the moment the driver's door thuds shut.
The generous, well padded and shaped seats have a firmness you appreciate more as the miles pass under the wide tyres, the seat belt height, column reach and rake, and seats provide a huge range of positions to satisfy a variety of users.
The door casings, facia and centre console have clean lines and pleasant surface feel with neat bright trim touches to highlight areas, while the deeply recessed and cowled instruments would not look out of place in a pure sports car let alone a five door saloon.
The Exeo sees the debut of SEAT's new common rail diesel engines along with the more familiar petrol 200ps 2.0. The new 143ps and 170ps 2.0 units will be joined later by a 120ps oil-burner and the range is spread over S, SE, Sport and SE Lux trim levels.
Prices run from £17,740 to £21,340 for the seven models while insurance groups are 12E to 14E.
The 2.0-litre 143ps turbo-diesel engine is a smooth, willing and fairly quiet unit with really useful flexibility, excellent mid range punch and matched to the six-speed manual box on the SE tested it provides rapid acceleration from rest, reassuring overtaking and relaxed motorway ability.
The chunky feel to the steering wheel gives a lot of feedback and the turning circle is tight, there is no unwelcome vibration or kickback and the clutch and gearchange are easy and precise.
All the secondary controls are close to the wheel rim for the driver and operate with a satisfying action while the very comprehensive instruments are directly in front of the driver but not marked in great detail and suffer from reflections.
Heating and ventilation is straightforward and works well, backed up by four powered windows on the SE and the oddments room is reasonable throughout.
A fairly low sill and moderately sized boot opening give access to a boot which offers up to 460 litres and the interior legroom is good unless the front seats are fully set back.
Headroom is good throughout and visibility is clear thanks to slim roof pillars. Noise levels are limited to moderate amounts of road rumble from the big tyres and suspension but wind and engine are quiet by comparison, even at motorway speed.
Ride is biased towards firmness but it's not hard or uncomfortable in the SE, although the sportier versions with lower profile tyres can expect to be stiffer.
The SE had a good positive feel on the road. Its handling was safe and sure with a tendency to run wide on tight turns but it was well mannered and did not show up any nasty surprises.
I averaged 43.5mpg, about 8mpg less than SEAT said it should achieve, but the engine was still tight and the route entailed a lot of gear changing.