WHEN Citroen  introduced the up-market DS3 hatchback it took the French manufacturer's design image up a notch.

Now come the larger DS4, which has already been voted the Most Beautiful Car of the Year according to a competition which drew together the opinions of over 60,000 car enthusiasts from 62 countries worldwide.

I don't know whether I would agree with that, but the DS4 is certainly a stylish motor and a giant step up from the company's rather mundane C4 on which it is based.

Although it's a four-door, the DS4 looks like a coupe, with its rear door handles cunningly hidden at the top of the extended window frames.

Incidentally, and rather oddly, the rear windows cannot be opened, which is not the best of ideas if passengers need a little extra air.

The DS4 has a compact and muscular profile, featuring a chrome-finished waistline surrounding dark tinted windows, muscular arches which cover wheels up to 19 inches.

The car, which goes on sale in the UK on July 4, also has a large, panoramic windscreen that extends backwards into the roofline offering up to 45degrees of upward vision giving the driver a great view and an airy feel to the cabin.

Head and legroom are adequate and the driving position is excellent in front of a simple and attractive set of instruments. The DS4 is fitted with aluminium pedals which add to its sporty credentials.

Top of the range models are kitted out with high quality leather on the dashboard and door panels with a "Bracelet" design on the seats, which look like the links of a watch strap.

Boot space is good at 359 litres with plenty of depth and the rear seats fold to give a flat load surface. There is additional under-floor storage.

The DS4 is being launched with a choice of five engines: two HDi diesels - an HDi 110 bhp and an HDi 160. The three petrol power plants - VTi 120, THP 155 and the new THP 200 - were co-developed with BMW.

All engines are available with manual or EGS electronic six-speed gearboxes.

The new THP 200 - based on the 1.6-litre engine - is a revelation. I drove this version on pretty demanding roads including motorways and steep, twisty mountain roads and the amount of low-down pulling power was impressive.

The THP 200 has a top speed of 146 mph and 0-62 mph sprint time of just 7.9 seconds. Also impressive is its fuel consumption which Citroen claims is 44 mpg and CO2 emissions peak at 149 g/km.

Standard equipment levels on the DS4 are high, with traction control, anti-lock brakes, six airbags and two Isofix mountings on the rear seats.

There's a quality feel to this new Citroen and I think that as well as being good looking its build quality is getting close to German standards.

When it goes on sale it will come in three specifications - DSign, DStyle and DSport.

Prices start at just under £18,500 for the VTi 120 DSign, rising to around £24,000 for the range-topping THP 200 DSport.

An entry-level diesel e-HD 110 6-speed DSign will be available at under £20,000.