My guess is that Bell intended the 505 to be the TBM 700/850/9XX series of helicopters. That is, to be the de facto turbine-single of the owner/pilot. It was initially announced at a sub $1 million price point with Garmin glass, and a class-leading autopilot. I'm guessing Bell thought the clean sheet 505 would be far cheaper to build than a refreshed 206B (206C?) with similar amenities.