krypton john,
If you are comparing the Cabri to the R22, I imagine that the Cabri is significantly quieter than the R22. (Has anyone actually seen or heard a Cabri in flight to confirm this?) This will be very appealing to certain markets where noise issues are high on the agenda.
If you are comparing it to the R44, the only thing that it really loses out is the 2 extra seats. However, especially for private owners, how many times are those 4 seats actually filled with people? Lots of R44 owners just need the space for baggage, something that the Cabri caters for elsewhere.
I don't even think that the fact that it is priced nearer an R44 will be an issue either - there's a market for both. Let's take the car market as an analogy - there are plenty of 5 seat saloons (Mondeos, Mercs etc) that are the same price as smaller, higher-tech, 2 seater sports cars (Boxters, S2000s etc). They might sell more Mondeos, but they still sell plenty of Boxters...
Last edited by Bravo73; 29th Sep 2008 at 11:23.