On an excuse for a x-country parts run to Aurora earlier this week, as I walked past Van's open factory hangar, I saw the demo RV-12iST and had the pleasure of meeting the gentleman named Dick as he sat on its pilot-side wing root. He asked where we had flown in from and how long I have had my -12, then pointed to his rather spartan D-180 era RV-12 directly in front of the hangar door. He told me it has been his reliable daily commuter for years, but he has started RV-12iS build project as its replacement. (He claimed no favorite RV, but...)
Regarding the RV-12iST he explained there is no structural or performance difference between the models. Rather, it is aimed at flight schools as a low-cost primary trainer platform and focuses on avionics suite standards that support formal instrument training. The demo has dual Garmins, but being a Dynon advocate since D-180 thru the HDX, I do not know which model and didn't ask...
Mike Clark
N712WE