As if to distract us from the performance (or rather the lack of it), we're flown to Finland for our first taste of the 246bhp 4x4. It's a cunning move. The Arctic Driving Centre, just inside the Arctic Circle, is a 300-acre snow-covered paradise; a place where 246bhp, even in a car weighing 2225kg, is about 200bhp too much, a place where you'd have to be dead not to have a seriously good time. As distraction tactics go, it's a masterstroke.

Lined-up on the brilliant white powdery snow, Finnish sun dazzling in a clear blue sky, the Cayenne even looks impressive. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration but time tends to soften opinions on styling and the popularity of the Cayenne in both the US and over here suggests that the Porsche badge has an allure beyond many critics' expectations. Climb up into the cabin and it's more obviously Porsche; right down to the six-speed 'box, a first in the Cayenne and standard on the ΂£34,350 V6.

Fire-up and there's a pleasingly vocal and surprisingly muscular off-beat engine note not unlike that of the V8 Cayenne S (also on hand with the new manual 'box). Snick the lever into first and the promising noise is more than matched by a slick, tight shift action. It's a more heavy-duty movement than you'll find in a 911 or Boxster and slightly longer in throw, but still feels distinctly Porsche-like. Integrated into the package is a trick hill-start system dubbed PDOA (Porsche Drive-Off Assistant), which holds the brakes on as you begin to engage the clutch to prevent rolling back. Maybe BSM should ditch their Corsas for a fleet of Porsche 4x4s.

Like all Cayennes, this new six-cylinder model is a surprisingly satisfying thing to hustle. It steers, brakes and controls body movement as well as many competent car-shaped cars. On the treacherous snow and ice-covered Finnish equivalent of B-roads it feels both surefooted and agile. The manual 'box is superb and helps keep the modest engine on the boil. The VW-sourced V6 has all-new Porsche-developed intake and exhaust systems to inject a bit of character and hit the target of 246bhp at 6000rpm. Peak torque of 228lb ft is available from 2500 to 5500rpm.

It's tricky to judge the Cayenne's performance in these wintry conditions but initial impressions are encouraging. It's no rocketship but the smooth V6 pulls hard from around 2000rpm and seems more than happy to be buzzed up to the redline if you really want to get everything from it. Unfortunately, the woofly soundtrack that pedestrians are treated to hardly penetrates the cabin once you're on the move.

No doubt the density of the Finnish air (the Cayenne's outside temperature gauge hovered around minus 15deg) also helped the engine perform to its absolute optimum. In warmer climes and fitted with the optional Tiptronic S auto, the base Cayenne could be something of a damp squib. It's not great news on the economy front, either. The combined mpg figure of 21.4mpg will be pretty hard to replicate (as they always are) and the urban figure of 15.9mpg makes for sobering reading. 'Affordable' and 'Cayenne' suddenly seem mutually exclusive, even in the context of the V6.

The Cayenne's appeal is distinct from that of any other Porsche but it has been developed just as rigorously, and it's fantastically well balanced on frozen Finnish roads. However, objectively it's no better than an X5, it's not as good-looking, and the BMW's interior has the edge in terms of quality, too.

But it will sell, mainly to people who like the idea of owning a Porsche and don't necessarily understand what a real Porsche is all about. I can promise they'll have fun, just so long as they've got a 300-acre back-yard that's covered in snow for half the year...