If the Exeo’s exterior left you in any doubt of its Audi roots, the cabin should jog your memory. Other than the steering wheel badge and a gear lever of a subtly different shape, the Exeo cabin is pure Audi A4 – or more precisely, A4 Cabriolet.
But while the ergonomics are still (mostly) excellent and the cabin construction very robust, the design is a little dated. Whether that will matter is of personal taste.<./p>
The driving seat, which in the case of our test car was cloth-finished (leather is standard on SE Lux, and optional elsewhere), offers good support and, along with the reach and rake-adjustable steering wheel, caters for a wide variety of shapes. If there is a grumble it is that the driving position is slightly offset.
Accommodation for rear-seat passengers is perfectly acceptable if not quite as spacious as the current crop of saloons.
On SE models the Exeo gets an ‘acoustic’ windscreen which improves sound deadening. Given this, it is a shame that the stereo isn’t better; it has an impressive eight speakers, but its quality falls short on definition.
The Exeo’s list price and kit list look tempting. The S model offers alloys, six airbags, dual climate control and cruise control for £17,735, £2500 less than the equivalent diesel Mondeo, and the forecast residuals are strong. The £605 cost to trade up to SE seems worth it for better interior trim, rear parking sensors and the ‘acoustic’ windscreen, while Sport models, with larger wheels and lowered ride height, cost a further £885.
Over mixed driving we averaged a slightly disappointing 35.7mpg, but the Exeo’s tall sixth gear resulted in a much more acceptable 51.9mpg over our touring route.
