It's role is a suppression unit.
Alright, I'll clarify: I don't understand why the kubel ever needed to fill the role of a suppression unit.
The only units I can even think of in the CoH franchise that could suppress on the move is the... wirbelwind? Panzer Elite Scout Cars had to first get an upgrade and then use an immobilizing lockdown ability with a cooldown to get suppression. Bren carriers could suppress eventually, but they'd wipe a squad long before they'd pin a unit, iirc. BAR suppression is the only ability I can think of, but I am almost positive that they needed to be stationary for the ability to actively fire. Still, that required the fuel investment for BARs and then a muni ability.
A fuel-free scout unit with the ability to spray some bullets and soften up advancing forces for the cost of some repairs is an EXCELLENT role for an early game unit. In fact, it's been a unit archetype that's been strangely omitted from CoH2.
But since snipers are half uncounterable and half useless, there hasn't been a call for it.