Originally posted by ThorSanchez With the emphasis on "dynamism" in the K-new I think Pentax came to the realization that carving out a sharply defined market for APS-C shooters who can't stand EVFs, don't need video, and mainly deal with static subjects but need a rugged body gives them a potential user base of 455 people.
It would be like if Toyota decided the Tundra wasn't competing with the RAM and the F150 and the Silverado, but was just for a niche of people who wanted a 1.5 ton stepside, short-bed, non-crew-cab pickup with a manual transmission and no center console display, a 2-DIN radio and a conventional tailgate. Yep, that's not competing with an F150, but it's the perfect choice for the 18 people with that requirement set.
Now now, it's actually closer to 472 people.
I saw the same thing as your truck comparison with the Nissan Titan XD Diesel. It's an expensive truck, being a diesel, but unlike it's diesel competition, it has a relatively low tow capacity and a relatively low cargo capacity.
They put a truck on the market that was under-specified in every single metric that truck buyers care about.
OTOH, what it does, it does with ease.
I never felt fully in control of things with my gas Titan pulling a 6k lb trailer. The truck was always working, and even a moderate grade would cause it to run out of power, and quite often, the tail was definitely wagging the dog. My very under-specified XD Diesel pulls the same trailer easily, the trailer never feels like it is taking over steering chores, it never seems to be working especially hard, it barely notices moderate grades and doesn't really start working hard until I start driving relatively steep mountain passes.
Apparently in the 4 years Nissan made the truck they sold as many units as a small Ford Dealer sells F150s in a slow week. For me it's about perfect, but it is definitely a small niche vehicle that missed the mark for most truck customers.