I was going to post a long reply but the more I though about it, I wondered if there was any form of autobox 'hot hatch' with performance and economy figures required of the OP. Its more down to research online that what we have in our heads.

The OP is best going onto Autotrader.co.uk and then coming back here and asking opinions of cars he has found.

Having been to Malta several times I can understand the desire for an automatic. I wonder if there are any small diesel automatics that would give the numbers required. Pty they did not make a Skoda Fabia VRs in auto. Isn't the current VRs only in DGS form?

Is there not a type of UK licence that is automatic only.

I must agree with you Bobbin the two do not seem to gel together.

So, my first reply to the questions:

1. Yes, it has to be automatic. I've been driving manual for the last three years and the way the traffic keeps getting worse by the month, I definitely don't want another manual. I want a good semi-automatic with paddle shifters. Ideally a dual-clutch gearbox. The "sporty" aspect is better than the manual - most of them (DSG, TCT, powershift etc.) generally accelerate to 100km/h about 0.2 seconds faster than the manual equivalent. Not much, but yet another advantage to having an automatic nowadays.

2. As for cars that fulfill the above specs:

a) The Alfa MiTo 1.4 TBi 135bhp with TCT [my personal favourite - no major common faults in engine and gearboc identified with quick google search, decent price, best fuel economy in the list, nice interior and it has the Alfa badge! Disadvantages - 3 door only, I don't like the bonnet, and it's the slowest car in my shortlist at 8.2 seconds. Then again it only needs 135 bhp to do that (the others need 180 bhp) so my insurance will be lower and the car is also the lightest, at just 900-1000kg with driver].

b) The VW hot hatches with DSG. There's the polo 1.4 TSI GTI (180bhp, 6.9sec) and the Golf TSI 160 (160bhp, 8 sec). [Problem: google searches reveal common problems with engines developing oil leaks, broken conrods, supercharger damage, gearboxes that need the mechatronic unit replaced, and other nightmares]

c) The equivalents from VW group's child companies. So there's the Skoda Fabia 1.4 TSI vRS with DSG gearbox [my second favourite after the Alfa - 7.3 seconds. So it's faster, but I don't like the interior so much. Compared to the Alfa, it consumes more fuel and makes more CO2, but then it's a whole second faster to 100]. And finally the Seat Ibiza Cupra 1.4 TSI [7.2 seconds, but the interior is the worst of the lot]. Both these cars are significantly cheaper than the Polo, but not as nice interior-wise.

Approx. prices in Malta with Maltese registration tax included:

MiTo - €15,000

Fabia vRS - €13,500

Ibiza Cupra - €14,400

Polo GTI - €17,000

Golf 160 - €16,800

They use to go to the old airport and use the runways it was the the only place you could go over 30,a hot hatch in Malta is a little wasted more use would be a worthless car with 6 inches of rubber round it.

Your own shortlist looks pretty good; I'd have the Fabia vRS. Anything more powerful would be wasted in Malta. You could also look at the Mini Cooper, Audi A1 and BMW 1-series, all of which can be had as petrol automatics.

I haven't been to Malta since 1969, when I had a lovely holiday between university and starting work, with the naval chaplain and his family. I had a brief moment of fame when, driving in a narrow street, i was given way to by a Maltese bus - something that had never happened before, or posssibly since.

My shortlist is down to two: the Fabia vRS and the MiTo. Price is similar. The Fabia is faster, has 5 doors, and looks nicer on the outside. The MiTo is more fuel-efficient, has less CO2, a better interior, a simpler engine (no supercharger, less things to go wrong compared to the Fabia), and it's an Alfa so it gets a more favourable reaction.

But the Fabia is 15% faster than the MiTo. So which will it be?