David says: SEAT. Isn’t that the sporty Spanish car company whose cars are all sweeping Latin curves and fiery passion.

So what’s a SEAT badge doing on the bonnet of a solid, sensible, dare I say, sober saloon?

The answer is that the Exeo is an example of something the motor industry is likely to see a lot more of. SEAT is, of course, part of the Volkswagen Audi Group and, under the skin, the Exeo is the former generation Audi A4.

And in the same way that the old Rover 75 production line was lifted from Cowley to Longbridge and subsequently shipped all the way to China, the entire A4 production line was lifted from Ingolstadt, Germany, and reinstalled in Spain in just eight weeks.

Take the A4, fit new bumpers, bonnet and bootlid, front and rear light clusters and wheels and there you have a sparkling new upper-medium model to slot in at the top of your line-up at a fraction of the normal new-car launch cost.

And the Exeo does sparkle, because it is built on the chassis of the thoroughly dependable A4 and inside, the cabin is pure Audi. That’s smart, restrained and beautifully put together.

The main weakness of the old A4 lay at the front, where the longitudinally-mounted engine, sitting ahead of the front wheels, gave a rather dead feel to the handling. SEAT’s engineers have worked hard to overcome that and have tuned the suspension to produce a still comfortable ride, combined with much livelier, more satisfying handling.

The test model was powered by a 143 horsepower version of a 2.0-litre diesel engine, also available as a 170 horsepower unit with a 120 horsepower version on the way.

Petrolheads among the user-chooser company car buyers, who are likely to be big fans of this car, have the option of a potent 2.0-litre TSI model that can deliver up to 200 horsepower.

Standard equipment is comprehensive and includes everything from Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and dual zone climate control, to one-touch electric windows all round and six airbags.

Reworking of existing platforms is something that is likely to become much more common in these straitened times and that might be no bad thing, as there are plenty of first-class models around which could successfully be turned into a credit crunch alternative bearing a different badge.

And that may be no bad thing if the Exeo is anything to go by. With few faults and prices starting at about £17,000, this may be more foxtrot than flamenco, but it is an awful lot of car for the money.

Marie says: If you always wanted to buy an Audi but felt you could not afford it, SEAT might have the answer, because if you scratch the skin of the SEAT’s Exeo (pronounced ex-ay-oh) you’ll find the former shape of the Audi A4.

SEAT’s appeal is to the sporty youthful buyer, but what happens when a few grey hairs appear? Up to now, that meant moving on to a new brand. Not any more.

This move into the luxury medium saloon market provides SEAT with some untapped area for growth, giving loyal customers the opportunity to comfortably move the range.

The sounding clunk as you close the door on this 2.0-litre turbodiesel confirms its instant solid feel that follows you through the whole driving experience. Even though this vehicle looks a little on the large side, the steering has been designed to give you graduated help depending on your speed, so when moving slowly around car parks you get that little extra help.

On faster roads its set-up eases back to give you a good feel of the vehicle and effortless control.

Safety features highly on the Exeo, with numerous sensors for automatic headlights, windscreen wipers and passive systems working without you knowing it.

It may look a little more on the executive side inside with the absence of door bins in the rear and its dark luxury leather upholstery, but the inclusion of Isofix anchoring points with the top-tether system for child seats, fitted to the rear seats means it can cope with a young family too and the back of the middle rear seat conceals a picnic tray and cup holders.

Despite this being a saloon, the boot looks huge, although you do have to bend and have long arms to reach the back of it.

You will not only look cool in the Exeo, you can also keep cool, as optional features like a heat-reflective windscreen and double-glazed windows keep the temperature down.

If you want to be uber-cool go for the ‘solar sunroof’ which has solar panels fitted, that power the cabin air vents, rather than the car’s battery, to help keep the vehicle at a comfortable temperature when the vehicle is parked during a warm day.

This is a seriously upmarket car at a price that is bound to turn some heads.

Auto facts SEAT Exeo 2.0 TDI CR SE Lux

Price: £21,655

Insurance group: 12

Fuel consumption (Combined): 51.4mpg

Top speed: 133mph

Length: 466.1cm/183.5in

Width: 177.2cm/69.7in

Luggage capacity: 16.2cu ft

Fuel tank capacity: 70 litres

CO2 emissions: 139g/km

Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles