Why do manufacturers put mechanical disc brakes on cheap bikes instead of V-brakes (or in this case, caliper brakes)? I mean the discs, brake pads and even disc brakes themselves are more expensive if you have to replace them. If cheap direct-mount brakes were available for bikes like this, I would have prefered that
Because discs are the new cool thing to have on a bike and companies try to have that item that helps them sell a bike. On the up side, though they are a touch heavier, at any price point the discs work better then the rim brakes it would have come with and have the advantage in wet and mud making them a good thing.