What's curious is that it's gonna consume the same amount of space as a regular 22.5" model, so you're saving a chunk of money for a crappier grill. This isn't Weber's first compromised design, but at least the others have had other attributes such as portability.
The entry point is also the exit point for a lot of people, so perhaps this is just Weber's slice of that pie. Hard to say no to big retailers.