A rare bright money-spinner in China’s sagging auto sales has been the SUV, where the industry can hardly keep up with demand.

However, the love affair with road behemoths, which started when consumers cottoned to higher stance and spacious cabins, is passing from initial infatuation to doubts about the nature of the relationship.

It’s a bit like that in love affairs. They start out with unbridled excitement and passion, and then give way to uncertainty as the differences and flaws begin to surface in our other halves.

Do we love them for what they are or for what they look like? Do we appreciate that compromise and some changes are necessary to make things work, or do we just want both sides in a relationship to stay true to themselves?

In a world where being good-looking is a free pass to seduction, some cars have charmed their way into people’s hearts. But for SUV professionals bent on serious technologies, it is a fine line to tread in defying the stereotype that beauty and brains don’t mix.

The launch of the 2016 Chinese-made Range Rover Evoque was seen as a chance by the carmaker to stress that brainy is the new sexy.

At its latest demonstration event in Shanghai, the new Evoque was run through the paces of proving itself off-road worthy despite its refined appearance. It survived rough patches with tilted balance, climbed and descended steep tracks and waded through water. Even its new enlarged grill was presented as an improvement for drainage.

When the Evoque was first rolled out five years ago, the car relied on its chic design to woo buyers. With a raised beltline, tapered roofline and a variety of bright colors and finishes, it stood tall like a proud misfit among all the traditional boxy-looking SUVs on the road. It suddenly became the new must-have, and supply lagged demand so much that the most anxious buyers had to pay more than the sticker price to get delivery accelerated.

The story ended with an unexpected bang last year. Evoque sales hit rock bottom after production went local in China. While over-optimistic pricing was blamed, worries have persisted that the vehicle has simply lost its magic appeal after becoming more commonplace.

The price might make more sense if city drivers really wanted the full range of off-road features the car packs. But most of them don’t drive off-road and really have no desire or opportunity to do so. What urban dwellers want in an SUV is a sense of protection — moving in a bigger shell — while still enjoying the comfort of sedan ride.

That doesn’t mean off-road technologies have no actual value, claimed Murray Dietsch, president of Chery Jaguar Land Rover, the joint venture in China that makes Evoque.

“SUVs are often used as a family car and represent an extension of lifestyle,” he said. “Off-road technologies capable of handling extreme situations can make people feel safe and engender confidence.”

Such reassurance is a new dimension of image that the new Evoque seeks to add to its debonair flair. Its latest all-terrain process control feature can keep the car automatic at a speed of 1.8-30 kilometers an hour, minimizing the risk of mishandling in challenging conditions.

The company even boasts that a woman driving with no off-road experience can “conquer the world” in the new Evoque.

Hmm…. Are women really interested in going wild where choosing a gentleman-like companion to keep them company?

Meanwhile, there is something else to ponder. What happens if a vehicle brand you fall in love with starts changing beyond recognition?

The new BMW X1 SUV, launched last month as the most comprehensive and controversial remake of BMW’s offerings in China, has a lot to answer to its old fans.

Standing on an extended wheelbase, tailored-made for China and the first of its kind in the nation’s SUV segment, the car has bulked up enough to compete in a league above its compact category. It touches the sweet spot of Chinese buyers who like to stretch their legs in the back seat, inevitably compromising the agile handling that has marked BMW for decades.

The same pains and gains are felt in its adoption of a front-wheel-drive system, bidding farewell to BMW’s tradition of performance-oriented and complicated rear-wheel or all-wheel-drive platforms to make more room for the second row.

And a 3-cylinder engine as replacement for a 4-cylinder one in entry-level models may be the last straw for BMW aficionados. Where is all the fun, edginess and power of driving that the brand is so famous for?

The backlash was not as strong when the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer was launched in China in March, with the same front-wheel-drive platform. It is a van-like car centered on versatility and comfort, while the X1, a car with steering response keener than a sports sedan, has been all softened up.

Should we lament as sharp personalities are softened over time to be more social? Agonizing over a break with the glorious past risks detachment from an ever-changing world.

Reaching out to more entry-level Chinese customers of SUVs, who really do care about back seat comfort, and selling cost-effective versatility at the expense of vehicle performance are pretty justifiable, given that most people don’t appreciate mechanical nuances.

BMW once found that up to 80 percent of drivers of its BMW 1 Series small hatchbacks believed they were driving a front-wheel-drive car, though it’s not. The brand expects the line to blur further, with 40 percent of its global sales to come from small and compact models actually based on its UKL front-wheel-drive architecture, which has also underpinned the 2 Series grand tourer and MINI hatch. But then, what will make a BMW so special?

“With the new BMW X1, you live real,” said Jochen Goller, senior vice president for sales and marketing at BMW’s Chinese joint venture with Brilliance. “Be free, be bold, be deep, and be curious.”

What is curious is that the starting price for the vehicle, at 286,000 yuan (US$44,000), is higher than its critically acclaimed older self.

Unbridled spirit and passion for life. That is selling the legacy of the sporty BMW we know, wrapped in a new shape. And how many of us will be willing to pay a little bit more just for that? The car’s launch event, held in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, was aimed at instilling a feeling of adventure in a place famous for its jungles. The carmaker seems confident that the brand won’t lose its way off the well-beaten path.