So playing around with Swindle a bit more, I think I've finally nailed my thoughts on him; on why I like despite him not feeling like a traditional Swindle.
He feels like a Swindle who at some point decided to dedicate himself to and prioritize being a Combaticon and a soldier rather than a salesman.
I mean, with his personality, what sort of thing would you expect from him? Slimmer angles and body proportions; a smooth texture; something elegant. Even just something like the endless Hound redecoes; those work because they tend not to be especially bulky. But CW? He's bulky, he's rough, he's certainly not elegant. He's dedicated to being part of the unit. And it's not like you can't get a slimmer profile out of CW - look at the Aerialbots, Groove, First Aid etc. Rook/Swindle/Hound/Nosecone just happens to be the bulkiest one out there.
Which is... kind of fun, not sure how I feel about it. On one hand, this should be
the Swindle. This is revisiting what he was originally made for; he was specifically planned this time rather than just being another jeep repaint. This is kind of going back to his roots. So you'd expect something more traditional for him, wouldn't you? A profile similar to the Aerialbots. But instead you get this bulky, rough and tumble soldier. On the other hand... it can kinda work. He's the sort of guy you get the idea would do anything to get a good sale or to achieve his goals. So if something called for him to get into a bulkier body to combine into Bruticus for a while, he'd go for it without a second thought. Maybe. I dunno. I'm overthinking toys here