SEAT is aiming to make a mark in the upper-medium market with its new ‘high-value’ Exeo model.

Unveiled at the Paris Motor Show earlier this month, the Exeo is SEAT’s first foray into the core fleet market, and the manufacturer is adding plenty of standard equipment in a bid to lure user-choosers away from Ford Mondeo and the forthcoming Vauxhall Insignia.

According to SEAT’s information, the Exeo is based on the Volkswagen Group premium platform, which is a very grand way of saying it is a rebadged old-shape Audi A4. However, new front and rear styling gives the car at least some SEAT identity.

The Exeo is due to go on sale in the UK in the first half of next year and SEAT claims every Exeo will come with a generous level of equipment as standard, including USB connectivity to link MP3 music players to the car, cruise control, steering wheel-mounted audio controls, dual-zone climate control and alloy wheels.

SEAT UK Exeo product manager James Buckell said: “In today’s challenging market, we know car buyers are looking for the very best value possible and, to that end, are doing our utmost to make the forthcoming Exeo the class leader in terms of both price and equipment.

“The fitting of luxurious features such as dual-zone climate control across the entire range, as well as convenience additions such as USB connectivity, underlines our determination to make our new saloon a particularly well-specified drive.”

SEAT has yet to announce prices for the new model but expect an entry-level price of around £16,000.