Ruger has made solid semi autos and have always focused on the civilian market. They make great guns, but aesthetics do play a role. I think by making their pistols more like their competitors in appearance they will offer the same rugged reliability, value, and quality that they always have plus looks and superior engineering. Look how they forced the MP Sport upgrade by offering a competitively priced AR with a dust cover and forward assist.
I think too, they might want a bigger portion of the LEO market and it looks like the military will eventually go over to a new pistol, or at least go thru the motions of procuring one.
Now if I can get a Germanic looking Ruger for several hundred dollars less than a VP9 or Walther that's going to perform with legendary Ruger reliability, what am I going to do? Most gun for the buck.
Ruger has done well with the pocket semi market and if this new gun paerforms as well as it looks they are going to have a winner on their hands.