Method for automatically switching a motor vehicle to freewheel mode

A method for automatically controlling a motor vehicle for switching from a “normal” mode to a “freewheel” mode, the vehicle comprising an engine which is capable of supplying a drive torque to drive wheels via an automatically controlled clutch device which comprises a drive shaft and a driven shaft, in which, in “normal” mode, the drive wheels are coupled as often as possible with the engine via the clutch device while in “freewheel” mode, the drive wheels are permanently decoupled from the engine by disengagement of the clutch device to allow the engine to run at idle speed so long as no braking or acceleration command is given by the driver,

• characterized in that a transition step is interposed chronologically between the “normal” mode and the “freewheel” mode, in which transition step the engine is automatically controlled so that the driven shaft and the drive shaft rotate at the same speed without transmission of torque to the drive wheels.