First of the major autumn announcements of completely new cars comes from Citroen who have brought out a three-model range in the hotly-contested two-litre bracket.

Entitled the CX 2000, CX 2000 'Economy' and the CX 2200 they are stylish, utterly modern and great fun to drive.

But we won't see them over here until July next year.

At present production is concentrated on the 2000s for the French home market, with the 2.2 litre CX 2200 not due to come off the line until January.

However I was able to test pre-production versions last month in the remote, quiet forest area of Swedish Lappland round the town of Gallivari where the roads are open, very well surfaced and refreshingly deserted.

The CX is a combination of features from the GS, D and SM Citroens, its five-seater body being some 15 feet long.

Thoroughly crash-test researched the body is attached to the hefty perimeter chassis frame by 16 rubber mountings which allows the frame to take impact shock and at the same time prevent road vibrations being transmitted to the comfortable interior.

The four cylinder 1985 cc engine (in the 2200 it is bored out to 2175 to provide ten more bhp at 112 bhp) comes from the D series.

But it is turned round to lie east-west over the front driven wheels, allowing excellent accessibility to gearbox and clutch as well as leaving more space inside the car.

Spare wheel and tools are also carried under the long sloping bonnet, while the 'plumbing' for the GS derived hydropneumatic suspension is quite discreetly tucked away.

Most striking features are however the instruments which are housed in a binacle in front of the driver.

Two extensions bring various switches to the driver's fingertips in a manner that takes little getting used to.

Above this is a row of 15 segments, 13 of which are occupied with symbols indicating what warning light does what.

Included are oil level indicators but surprisingly there isn't a 'fasten your seatbelt' warning.

The seats themselves are deep-cushioned, cloth covered and comfortable.

The large, raked screen is cleared by a single two-speed wiper, but for best effect I think the twin washer jets could be better placed and aimed.

The front windows are electrically operated.

Visibility for the driver is excellent, all the pillars being slim. Wind noise too is exceptionally low even with a window open.

On the roads the Citroen CX 2200 was swift and smooth, though it did exhibit a slight tendency to sideways float, possibly due to variation in tyre pressures.

The CX 2000 on the other hand, on Michelin ZX tyres, felt much more positive on all road surfaces.

What will be a deciding factor will be how they are priced. They are not going to be cheap - that is quite certain.