Jacko,
The cabin volume hasn't been reduced, but the use of stroking seats (for health and safety reasons) precludes putting Bergens under them in peacetime operations. The result is an effective reduction in usable cabin volume, as current practice is to fit stuff anywhere it will go.
The engines are uprated WRT to SL300, thanks to the use of conformal gears in the MRGB allowing a greater torque capacity, plus the new tail rotor giving adequate yaw authority. SL300 is limited to 5330kg MAUM (same as current Lynx) as the airframe hasn't been uprated (whereas FLynx has). Having said that, the SL300 demonstrator managed to take off and hover OGE at 5330kg MAUM at about 9,400ft ISA plus 30deg C during trials, which is a fairly hefty improvement over current Lynx.
The real problem with the reduced system integration is the workload for the poor old left seat guy in the maritime role. The forced cut in things like data fusion will present him with masses of information and a lot of mandraulic button pressing to pull the picture together. Hopefully this will be addressed through incremental growth, as at least the "hooks" for the integration of systems in the future have been provided. The sensors are very good though, so no reduction in capability has been suffered there. As a consequence, the Find role for land forces will be well provided for, with a recce capability which is very significantly better than WAH 64.
I know people will rush to knock FLynx, but despite the appalling political long screwdrivering into the decision making process it is a damn fine aircraft, in my professional opinion.
VP