It is just VAG's way of "recycling".Keeping the body panels in production for years to come.The MKII Jetta is still available in China just with a face lift.Sean I agree, but then nobody really expects a Seat saloon to be as good as an Audi.
It is just VAG's way of "recycling".Keeping the body panels in production for years to come.The MKII Jetta is still available in China just with a face lift.
The issue with VAG has always been developing cars and engines that the market does not demand.Seat wont ever be seen as a luxury saloon and I think the Exeo will be a flop similar to how the Phaeton was a flop.
After 75,000US it is no longer about the car you are buying but the BRAND.Thats why people will always buy a Mercedes-Benz S-Class over an Audi A8/S8 and why a BMW 5 series will always sell more than an Audi A6.
Ok I just checked out the Exeo website. So this won't replace the Mk3 Toledo. What a shame! Whilst the Exeo isn't differentiating itself from the old A4 as much as Skoda's new Superb seems to have, why change a winning formula so much? I actually like the look of the new Exeo and will certainly be test driving one as soon as I can. I couldn't say the same for a Superb, because no matter how good it is, it is after all a Skoda. If Seat throw in the integral umbrella a la Superb they are on to a winner!
From what I can see, what Seat are doing is offering is a "luxury" alternative to Mondeo, Vectra, Accord etc. It certainly looks a lot better than the Passat. If it is as good to drive as my current Mk2 Toledo V5(170) I will certainly be interested when it comes round to reluctantly changing her.
As for the emerging markets potential, Skoda seem to have the lions share of that one already in E Europe and India from my own experience. I wonder if Seat's have that market in South America. It certainly won't do Seat any harm at all if ship loads of Seats are sold in emerging markets too.
From industry reviews of the old A4, it seems that the engine position ahead of the front wheels was seen as a weakness. As you have driven both this and the newer Golf/Passat and prefer the Audi, can you say that it makes much difference in terms of handling and balance/poise? What else made you prefer an old A4/A6 to a newer Golf/Passat. I have driven the Mk5 Golf (only a 1.6) but I didnt like it. The interior feels cheap compared to previous Golfs I have owned and the drive wasn't all that great. My 10 year old Honda Civic 1.6 had more power too. I dont think the engines and interior will be an issue with the Exeo.
To start with, I think that it was the harsh reality that I liked my Passat B5 (2000MY) not because it was a VW but because it was (an old) Audi designed car - that means that it accidentally has higher design integrety and higher build standard than should be expected from a VW. These are the very reasons that VW had to dump this platform as it had won over a lot of customers, so had achieved what was required of it but was far too expensive to produce in Germany - the way forward was always going to be to launch next model but one that was a lot cheaper to build > hence grab a Golf platform and take it from there.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to walked away from that experience thinking that I'd get one A.S.A.P. - but the reality is that I will probably just get a secondhand Audi A6 or consider this new Seat.
Hmm couple of paragraphs missing..
It is just VAG's way of "recycling".Keeping the body panels in production for years to come.The MKII Jetta is still available in China just with a face lift.
The issue with VAG has always been developing cars and engines that the market does not demand.Seat wont ever be seen as a luxury saloon and I think the Exeo will be a flop similar to how the Phaeton was a flop.
After 75,000US it is no longer about the car you are buying but the BRAND.Thats why people will always buy a Mercedes-Benz S-Class over an Audi A8/S8 and why a BMW 5 series will always sell more than an Audi A6.
A6 sells more than the bmw 5 series in germany actually, and audi sells more cars in the UK than BMW does. Infact audi seems to be the only mainstream manufacturer in the world right now that continues to grow.
What's your source for this data? Are you referring to VAG vs BMW in the UK or just Audi?
In the UK audi sells more cars some months than bmw and mercedes combined.
This is the statement that I am having a hard time believing. When you say Audi do u mean just Audi branded cars or are you including VW? If it is indeed just Audi, as I suspect after reading the Associated Press article you kindly linked, then that is really surprising and very impressive.
"For the first 11 months of 2008, the maker of the sports and luxury cars Q7, R8, and the TT, said it delivered some 920,700 vehicles, up 3 percent on the 893,628 sold in the first 11 months of 2007." (Worldwide sales)
Source - AP article.
"BMW, which was already having a rough time in the United States this year, now concedes there’s no way it will top last year’s worldwide record sales of just over 1.3 million BMWs for the full year of 2008."
Source: http://industry.bnet.com/auto/1000362/no-worldwide-sales-record-for-bmw/
So Audi is finally catching up. I still prefer BMW's and Mercs
Sport (170ps) - £20,160
SE LUX (170ps) - £21,340
Sport (200ps Petrol) - £19410