Odd graph
There was once a theory that the Mercure was Dassault's attempt to queer the A320's pitch with an aircraft in the 737's mould, but made to measure for the "long" legs of the Air Inter network (sort of Biarritz - Paris). Air Inter's pilots apparently loved it for its "fighter-like" handling - they were a fairly hairy bunch, some of them, "back then" ...
An Airbus salesman once told me that some potential (in Dassault's innocent eyes) customers were bemused to see a Payload/Range "curve" consisting of a square, with no angled line between MTOW and Max. Pax. The D-team wasn't invited back ...
A "political" aeroplane, really - no idea personally why the tailplane's dihedral was so marked - there was another suggestion that it was supposed to be an "up yours" to Airbus as a whole ...
NB - With the Falcon bizjets though they certainly got something bvery right indeed.
* That bit seems to need some corrective study - I never saw the "curve" in question.