​Phil Vaughan gets behind the wheel of the new X6 from BMW and finds the designers have banished the boxy shape of a traditional SUV at a stroke ...

BMW X6

It goes like a whippet, has the agility of a gazelle, could probably tow a small house off its foundations and manages to seem both hefty and haughty at the same time. Yes, the BMW X6 is quite a mix. Just shy of five metres long and two metres wide, this premium 4x4-cum-coupé is still very much in a world of its own.

It dismisses in one sweeping design stroke the boxier bodywork of other luxury sports utility vehicles and conveys the air of a cougar about to pounce. And the premium marque proves once again that sizeable doesn’t mean any sacrifice of space or speed – or stunning handling, for that matter.

BMW provides a choice of three engines – two V6 diesel and one V8 petrol – with the best buy this 2,993cc, 286bhp oil burner that can generate JCB-ish torque of 427lb/ft at just under the 2,000rpm mark.

Employing a six-speed automatic transmission and driving all four wheels, the X6 35d has got the go, and the grunt, for just about every situation.

Other drivers will be looking at that impressive rear end most of the time, for it can zip to 62mph from zero in 6.9 seconds and top out at 147mph – and it is ultra-quick in any range.

Thank goodness the fuel tank holds 85 litres, as combined mpg is down to the 30 mark (officially it’s 34mpg).

BMW’s explanation for the big motor’s four-seats-only cabin configuration raises a smile: “The BMW X6 will be bought more by two-person households,” is the official line.

Translated, that means you wouldn’t want sweets-sticky or mud-covered kids inside something so nice . . . would you?

But all of the German firm’s coupés have a maximum four seats and, as this is part-coupé, it follows suit. And, given the size of this suave beast, they are a very roomy and comfortable four chairs. Nicely clad in black leather, too, part of the £3,160 Dynamic Pack option.

There’s also a heck of a lot of careful, considerate, features built into the X6, such as a hatch that can be height-adjusted to avoid losing a chunk out of the car’s paintwork when opened in a low-ceilinged garage. Some are not standard, such as the £295 heated front seats, or the phone, navigation and BMW online help system that forms part of the £2,025 Media Pack.

Add to these the 20-inch alloys (19-inch wheels are the norm), adaptive drive and the projection of information on to the lower windscreen, and you’re paying an extra £9,820 – the price of a small family car – on top of the X6 35d’s starter tag of £44,540.

But even with the tot-up approaching the mid-£50k bracket, the whole bundle still holds up well against the best-of-the-best 4x4 opposition.

It’s a one-off, truly a very fascinating experience. But then, so are the “Did You Know?” facts that BMW supplies with the X6. For instance, it has better aerodynamics than the Smart Fortwo and a bigger boot than the mighty VW Touareg.

Also, certain versions are faster, yet more eco-friendly, than its main rivals, the Porsche Cayenne and Range Rover Sport.

And a lot prettier, too!