Apparently printing on both sides of a torso isn't that much more expensive to do.
It all comes down to the amount of printing machines in TLG's factory.
These new torsos hopefully lead a new era of printed torsos and parts.
And yeah, what use are all those euroarmors now?
The carriage might be a little "poor" in it's design, but it surely allows the main audience of this set (kids) to play with it.
Who'd want to have a carriage from which noone could escape - where's the playability in that?
Great set, great parts = definately a multiple buy