A method for controlling an automatic transmission of a power train for a motor vehicle, including producing a first set torque signal to be applied to the wheels, which represents wishes of the motor vehicle driver and that includes two components: a static component and a dynamic component. The dynamic component of the set signal is filtered according to at least two predetermined thresholds that define at least three distinct filtering zones. A filter of order n is used in the first and the third filtering zone and, in the second filtering zone, a maximum slope is imposed upon the dynamic component of the first set signal, the maximum slope being adjustable according to predetermined input data.