FOR many a driver the economy of a diesel engine and the ease of an automatic is the ideal mix.

It's a combination that has largely been missing from the Citroen line up - until now with the arrival of the latest DS4.

Fitted with a six-speed sequential auto box this version of Citroen's style machine is priced from £23,785 for a mid-range DStyle model or £24,785 for the range topping DSport, and that's £1,600 more than the manual version.

Mated to a two-litre diesel developing a healthy 160ps Citroen claims it is good enough for averaging 49.6mpg with emissions of 149g/km, impressive for an auto.

In the real world that is not far off the mark and we managed to see 42 to the gallon over a mixed route taking in a fair section of motorways.

The box can be operated manually and the shifts are swift though not lightning fast.

Dig deep into the revs and there is a surprising amount of power and while the DS4 feels light dynamically it is quite sporty and nimble.

However, paddle shifters, which would enhance the sporty feeling, are not an option.

Top speed is a claimed 129mph with 0 to 60 coming up in a shade under 10 seconds.

Left in pure automatic mode the DS4 is smooth through the box and it holds on to the gears well moving into top gear from around 45mph.

Overall it is quite a refined package and can only boost the DS4's reputation of being one of the snazziest family cars around.

As with all DS models, the interior is something of a style statement and this one came with plush leather upholstery, sat nav and a Denon hifi system, all extras which would add almost £2,500 to the price.

Bluetooth and USB connections are standard on DSport models as are blind spot monitors and Citroen's e-Touch emergency assistance system which transmits an SOS message automatically in the event of an accident.

Other features include a panoramic windscreen, LED daytime running lights and a hill start assist function.

With a 13.2 gallon tank the auto should be good for around 550 miles between fill ups which is not too much of a penalty compared to the manual version which Citroen claims can average 55.4mpg.