![sr22 cirrus interior sr22 cirrus interior](https://cdn.avbuyer.com/live/uploads/image/361301_361400/aircraft-single-piston-cirrus-sr22-g2-361338_610b26e31d865122.jpg)
With its distinctive paint scheme and otherworldly wingtip lighting, the plane attracts a lot of attention, so Ivy found the most out-of-the-way piece of ramp she could to park the plane. I met Cirrus’ single-engine product line manager Ivy McIver in San Marcos, Texas, to go flying in the new G6. And, yes, it also has the smooth and powerful Continental TSIO-550 factory turbocharged engine for 200-plus-knots true airspeed in cruise, 1,000-plus fpm rate of climb with the simplicity and the user-friendliness of a fixed-gear single. It has air conditioning, built-in oxygen and USB ports everywhere you turn. It has flight into known icing capability with a powerful and redundant certified TKS system. It has better seats, including the 60/40 Flex Seating that allows for a fifth passenger or split fold-down for hauling larger items. The airframe is nearly identical to the G5 model introduced two years ago, so it features more carbon fiber than ever, taller gear, better lights, and more interior and exterior options. It builds on the impressive incremental progress the company has made over the 15-plus years of production.
![sr22 cirrus interior sr22 cirrus interior](https://resources.globalair.com/specs/images/Singles/Cirrus%20Aircraft/Cirrus/SR22-G2%20GTS/Interior/77835_IMG_4726_i5[1].jpg)
The new model, which Cirrus has dubbed the SR22 G6, isn’t a new airframe. And the way the company did it is surprising, though at this point maybe it shouldn’t be. With the introduction of its best-selling SR22 G6 high-performance piston single, Cirrus has raised the bar in the category once again. Look for a full flight report in an upcoming issue of Flying.When visions of glass cockpits dance in our heads, we personal aviation pilots usually think of the Garmin G1000 avionics suite, which for more than 15 years has been the de facto standard avionics package in the vast majority of new production Part 23 light planes. We flew the new SR22 last week and again earlier this week on the trip from Texas to Florida and back. XM Weather will continue to be the main option for North American weather. The system uses the Iridium network and per minute or per message charges apply, with weather costs based on data used. Other options on the 2012 model include the new Perspective Global Connect, a satellite phone, texting and worldwide weather utility that allows SR22 occupants to call through the intercom system, send text messages, and get weather wherever it is available worldwide. The big rear bench seat also folds down (though not quite flat) with a 60/40 split, so you can load bags on one or both sides, for added loading flexibility. Even where there are just two in back, there’s a space between the two full-sized seats, giving passengers extra room for personal items, such as laptops, a small cooler or light jackets.
![sr22 cirrus interior sr22 cirrus interior](https://resources.globalair.com/specs/images/83652_N776SW_19_copy_1_.jpg)
The extra room also adds a touch of convenience. The center belted seat is narrower and is a good fit for a small child between adults or for a group of youngsters. Cirrus is not touting it as being large enough for three full-sized adults, and there are no changes to the operating weights of the airplane. With the optional seating arrangement, the airplane can now accommodate a fifth passenger on a split bench seat. Cirrus achieved the additional room needed for the added occupant in back not by modifying the design of the airframe but by changing the profile of the side panels, creating several inches of extra room. The five-seat layout is not a new model but rather an optional seating layout for the 2012 SR22, so there’s no new model name. At its Global Sales meeting at Disney’s Epcot Center in Florida, Cirrus unveiled the latest Cirrus SR22 to its dealers, and the big news is, it now has an optional fifth seat.