In late-summer 2002, I was in a small group of journalists attending the Jerez launch of the all-new Porsche Cayenne. Based on the same SUV platform as the Audi Q7 and VW Touareg, it was Porsche’s transformation model. Later that year, I spent two days of Arctic testing with Cayenne. The thinly disguised glee of its key staff was hard to disguise; Cayenne gave the brand a promise of profitable business, from which it has scarcely looked back since.

Fiercely independent, Porsche is a strange brew, having upheld the honour of flat-six and more recently (again) flat-four engine technology for its 911 and 718 (Boxster/Cayman) models respectively, the relative conventionality of Cayenne, which delivers exceptionally impressive on and off-road performance, has been the saviour of the brand and allowed it to continue developments of its quirky but eminently desirable sportscars.

In its latest, third-gen, Cayenne Coupe guise, powered by a 335bhp, 3.0-litre V6 turbo-petrol engine, it is marginally more subtle than the BMW X6 but 911 styling cues abound, from its sleek nose and side windows, to the abbreviated tail. It is inescapably attractive and highly noticeable in its orange paintwork. Its four seats (five are optional) allow occupants to luxuriate in a refined and beautifully upholstered cabin, the driver benefiting from a vastly improved centre console that has a more ordered switchgear layout and less fussiness than previous Cayennes. A full-length panoramic glazed roof floods the cabin with light and has an electric blind for the rest of the time.

Prices start at what seems to be a most affordable (for a Porsche) £62,129, to which you can add an array of extra cost items or contemplate what you might be missing in the £104,729 V8 Turbo variant. Truth is, not very much, apart from blistering acceleration and bigger bills. The V6 is actually a decent power unit. It is not very vocal but still emits a satisfying exhaust tone, as it clocks the 0-60mph benchmark in a cool 5.6s, before topping out at a respectable 150mph. It is not excessively heavy on the fuel, returning around 24mpg on test, with a stated CO2 emissions figure of 212g/km, figures that are not bad for a car tipping the scales at well-nigh two tonnes.

Thanks to innumerable changes made to the Cayenne’s platform, the centre of gravity has been lowered in Coupe form, while the track has been widened slightly. However, different suspension settings ensure that body roll is negligible and fore and aft pitch are absent. It may be a hefty coupe but it belies its bulk by feeling as nimble and manoeuvrable as a 911. Its four-wheel drive system maintains stability at serene levels, while its steering, a long-standing Porsche speciality, provides first-class driver feedback and supremely excellent responses.