Diamond Aircraft took the two-seat DA20 and developed the four-seat DA40. The airframe is of composite construction with conventional gear, side-by-side seating, adjustable rudder pedals and dual stick controls.
The DA40 XLS is powered by a 180 hp Lycoming IO-360-M1A. The DA40 XLS also has a three-blade MT Composite propeller. The aircraft was designed to offer good performance on a modest budget and to be easily maintained. Initial performance numbers suggest 135 knots cruise on 11.5 gallons per hour.
A Garmin G 1000 digital avionics suite is standard.