Seat has announced the name for its new mid-sized saloon, which has previously only been known by its internal codename of Bolero.The new car will be called the ‘Exeo’, which Seat claims should be pronounced as “ex-ay-o”. The new moniker marks a break by Seat from its previous corporate habit of naming its models after Spanish cities, a practice started with the Ronda (a licence-built Fiat Strada) in 1981. The new name is derived from the Latin word ‘exire’, which means to go beyond. We already know that the Exeo is going to be based around the architecture of the previous generation Audi A4 – although fitted with the latest-spec VW-group engines - and will share its fascia with the A4 cabriolet. Seat’s Director of Design, Luc Donckerwolke, has previously told Autocar that the Audi underpinnings will give the new car a head start against rivals like the Ford Mondeo and Vauxhall Vectra:“We believe the Seat brand will become established much faster in this highly competitive sector if the first model we offer has a proven record of quality and reliability. With the Audi A4-based model, there will be no room for doubt.”Production of the Exeo will begin in December and the car will go on sale early next year. Company insiders say it will be priced at a similar level to the Skoda Superb.
