They call it the world's first Sports Activity Coupé. But there's a two-year old Ssangyong out there that looks just like it at the back.

On the face of it, it appears to be an answer to a question that nobody asked. And who wants an X5 when someone's stolen all the important bits anyway?

But BMW calmly reminds us that X6 is sold out worldwide in pretty much a global recession and they tell me to "drive it and then tell us what you think..."

Well, why build a sports activity coupé in the first place? And if you call it a coupé, why's it got five doors when the definition of a coupe calls for two? Maybe three if it's a convenient hatchback. I'm compromised in the back — my head hits the roof and there are just two chairs in there. Hardly activity, I'd say.

Seems to be a bit of the compromise the X6. Who would buy it?

They say they have that down pat too — they want Cayenne (just as ridiculous a concept that so many people fall over each other to buy anyway, so there must be a market out there) and similar high power, high style ute buyers in this thing.

Then I drove it and I have to admit to being most impressed — BMW has stacked X6 with the best kit it can get. Its press kit bumpf says it all:

"X6 offers features and abilities not available in a comparable combination in any other car in the world. In its design, the new BMW X6 combines the sporting elegance of a large BMW Coupé with the powerful presence of a BMW X model.

"The unique driving characteristics of the BMW X6, in turn, come from the innovative combination of driving dynamics on the road so typical of BMW and absolute supremacy on all kinds of terrain. So this is a unique coupé and, at the same time, a very special BMW X model."

It then waffles on tying to justify X6's certainly striking looks before getting into the car's really strong suit. "The BMW X6 comes as standard with BMW’s intelligent xDrive for variable distribution of drive power between the front and rear axle."

X6 Dynamic Performance Control furthermore makes for the variable distribution of drive forces between the two rear wheels. So regardless of the actual power and traction coming from the engine, DPC enables power and torque delivered to either back wheel in a bend to be actively increased or decreased as required by the immediate, present driving situation.

This unique system operating off a pair of planetary gear sets and electronically activated wet clutch packs acting on each of the rear sideshafts 'significantly enhances steering precision, traction on bends and, accordingly, the agility of the vehicle even at moderate speeds.'

Added to X5's (which the X6 is ostensibly based upon) already high tech suspension set-up especially with that XDrive, anti-lean system and other nuances that will all find their ay into the next 5 Series too, the DPC-equipped X6 is absolutely awesome to drive.

X6 feels (sorry BMW, this is a compliment!) Subaru Impreza-like on the road — all two tons of it and to amply illustrate the fact, BMW kindly organised a Cape Black Northwester for the day of our first drive, which with the exception of the occasional 100km/h gust, X6 treated as perfectly normal too.

There isn't a hint of this car's bulk from the driver's seat. It's so sweet to drive, feels like a well-sorted AWD rice rocket and performs like a sportscar. But it's a sport activity vehicle. Well, kinda — you're not going to find many of these up in the Okavango now, are you?

In fact if any of these things ever see a sand road, they'll be doing well...

On the engine front, we're going to have to wait till sometime next year for BMW’s new 300kW 600Nm direct petrol injection twin turbo 4.4-litre V8 with its blowers and cats nestling in the middle of that Vee. In the meantime you can have the brilliant double Engine of the Year twin-turbo six (which feels a bit challenged at times in this heavy an application) or the awesome sequential twin-turbo diesel 3.0-litre with enough urge to easily overcome that bulk...

X6 is tweaked in every way to differentiate it from X5 — special trim, different kit and finishes and the rest, but still I am not convinced. Yes, it is the only BMW right now to have that brilliant DPC enabled X-Drive and indeed, it's going to be a hit in its market. Until the next big thing comes along.

I suppose we'll have to wait and see if there will be another of these in five years or so when it comes up to replacement time. If so, then X6 would have been a success. If not, it will be remembered as a quirky solution BMW used as a platform to introduce its brilliant new DPC.

Trouble is, knowing its target market, we're pretty sure this thing is going to be a runaway success — not only is it unique and different, but it's not going to be in three of the ten driveways down your street. They simply won't build enough of them for that to ever happen.

Still, I would personally rather wait until X5 comes with the chassis tech this thing boasts to have my cake and eat it. Happily for BMW, there is a niche out there that doesn't see it like that and whatever I say, this car is set to be a runaway success. Until of course, that next big thing hits the road...