I would suspect that Hobie has done the "focus group study work" on the seat changes, before making the large investment in this change.
One of the most repeated complaints in this forum has been the seat comfort UNTIL the new seat was introduced in the ProAngler...then the clamoring began to "upgrade the seating" in the rest of the product line like the PA.
IMHO Hobie really listens to their customers and has made many improvements to the kayak line....and they really seem to make changes /improvements sooner rather than later
I can sympathize with the Hobie owners who spend 5+ hours fishing in say like my old Outback and not having the benefit of an additional seat cushion.....I have a skinny butt and this was my problem until I purchased an inflatable seat cushion....the new seat will make many Hobie owners very happy.
Last year I traded up to a PA-14......the Vantage seat is really nice, but my main complaint is the darn seat material "squeaks" and "knocks" in the front recess socket as I pedal.
The plastic squeak is the material flexing near the front cross tube......the knock can be reduced by shifting my position somewhat in the seat........maybe my 178 pounds is "too light" for the 350 pound capacity seat
The good news is, with the Vantage seat, I don't need an additional cushion and can troll for 5 + hours and cover 8-10 miles with a smile on my face!
So, maybe Hobie will offer both seats in the rest of the Mirage Drive kayak line.....we just need to be a little patient, to see what Hobie has up their sleeve.