New Giant Trance Advanced E+ and Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ get 120Nm power and a choice of priorities

Giant goes big on battery capacity, while Liv targets a lighter build. Both new eMTBs combine the SyncDrive Pro 4 motor with 160mm forks, mixed wheels and traction control.

Giant and Liv have unveiled the 2027 Trance Advanced E+ and Intrigue Advanced E+, bringing a new 120Nm motor, more suspension travel and removable batteries to their carbon trail eMTBs.

The headline figures are substantial: up to 850W of peak motor power and 500% assistance from the new SyncDrive Pro 4 system. But the more interesting difference is how the two brands have packaged it.

Giant fits an 840Wh battery and claims 21.9kg for the flagship Trance Advanced E+ 0. Liv uses a smaller 560Wh battery, with a claimed 20kg weight for the Intrigue Advanced E+ 0. Both can take a 280Wh range extender.

That gives riders two approaches to a powerful trail bike: more battery capacity built in, or less weight to carry around when the ride doesn’t call for it.

SyncDrive Pro 4: more power, with more control over its delivery

Both bikes use the new 48V SyncDrive Pro 4 motor, which weighs a claimed 2.4kg and produces up to 120Nm of torque. Giant says it can reach peak torque within 0.28 seconds of the first pedal stroke, with assistance responding to pressure on the pedals from a standing start.

On the trail, that is intended to help when restarting halfway up a steep climb or getting moving after a dab. Whether that response feels helpful or over-eager will depend on the tuning, grip and rider input.

There is plenty to adjust. Through the RideControl app, riders can change assistance levels, maximum torque, acceleration, responsiveness and overrun — how the assistance tails off after pedalling stops. Six preset modes run from Eco through to Boost.

The system also gets traction control. Giant says it detects signs of rear-wheel slip and temporarily adjusts motor output to help restore grip before returning to the original assistance setting.

That could be useful on wet roots and loose climbs, where more torque alone won’t get you to the top. It remains something to test: neither the peak output figures nor a traction-control label tells us how naturally the bike will respond on a greasy British hillside.

Giant Trance Advanced E+: 840Wh and more travel

The new Giant Trance Advanced E+ combines a carbon frame with 150mm of Maestro rear suspension and a 160mm fork. That adds 10mm of travel at each end compared with the previous generation described in Giant’s launch material.

It uses a 29in front wheel and a 27.5in rear — a mixed-wheel, or mullet, setup. The larger front wheel helps roll over obstacles, while the smaller rear provides more clearance behind the rider and can make the bike easier to move through tight turns.

Giant says a custom motor housing, developed with Yamaha, allowed it to place the suspension pivots where it wanted them. The stated aim is to keep the rear suspension working effectively under both motor assistance and braking.

The removable 840Wh EnergyPak Smart battery weighs a claimed 3.7kg. Adding the optional EnergyPak Plus 280 takes total capacity to 1,120Wh, although the extender itself adds around 1.5kg before accounting for mounting hardware.

That is a sizeable energy reserve for linking climbs and descents, but it isn’t a guaranteed mileage figure. Rider weight, climbing, ground conditions and assistance settings will still determine how far it goes.

Giant’s claimed 21.9kg complete-bike weight applies to the Trance Advanced E+ 0, rather than every model in the range.

Liv Intrigue Advanced E+: full power with a smaller battery

The Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ gets the same headline motor output, 160mm fork travel and 150mm Maestro rear suspension, but takes a different approach to battery capacity.

Its removable EnergyPak Smart 560X holds 560Wh and weighs a claimed 2.6kg. A compatible 280Wh extender brings total capacity to 840Wh.

For riders whose usual loop doesn’t empty a large battery, that is an appealing choice on paper. You get the full-power motor while carrying less battery weight, with the option to add capacity for a longer day.

Liv claims 20kg for the Intrigue Advanced E+ 0. That puts the flagship within Electric MTB UK’s lightweight eMTB weight bracket, despite its full-power motor. It does not establish the weight of the less expensive builds, and we would want to weigh a test bike before making direct comparisons.

The Intrigue comes in XS, S, M and L sizes, with suspension tuning that Liv says was developed by women for women. Its frame dimensions also differ from the Giant’s: in the middle geometry setting, a medium Intrigue has 452mm reach, compared with 460mm for a medium Trance.

Size labels are therefore only a starting point. Riders comparing the two should look at the actual measurements and their preferred riding position.

Giant Trance Advanced E+ vs Liv Intrigue Advanced E+

Weights are manufacturer claims for the flagship builds, not independently measured figures or range-wide weights.

Three geometry settings for different trails

Both bikes have a three-position flip chip, which changes the geometry through hardware in the suspension rocker.

Head angles run from 64.1 degrees in Low to 64.9 degrees in High, with 64.5 degrees in the middle setting. Both have 443mm chainstays.

Low gives a slacker front end and lower bottom bracket, favouring descending stability. High raises the bottom bracket and steepens the steering angle, giving more pedal clearance for awkward climbs and slower technical sections.

Liv’s corrected geometry chart confirms that the Intrigue ships in the middle position. It also lists 155mm cranks across the size range, as does Giant’s Trance geometry chart.

Connected controls and tougher components

On selected builds, the new RideControl Ergo 5 wireless remote operates assistance and the electronic dropper post. Compatible electronic shifting can also be integrated, with the SE models using a TRP electronic rear derailleur.

The Contact Switch E+ dropper draws power from the bike’s main battery, removing the need to charge a separate seatpost battery. The RideControl Go Lux display provides ride information, while the wider system supports tyre-pressure monitoring, an electronic lock with movement alarm and Apple Find My integration.

Giant has also developed new TRX and TRA HD wheels and worked with KMC on chains designed for the combined loads of rider and motor. Those durability claims will need longer-term testing, particularly through winter mud and repeated climbing under power.

Both ranges include E+ 0, E+ 1, E+ SE and E+ 2 builds. The top models use Fox Factory suspension and carbon wheels; E+ 1 models use Fox Performance suspension, while SE builds introduce Crest suspension. E+ 2 models use RockShox suspension and Shimano Deore shifting.

UK pricing, the final UK model selection and on-sale dates have not been confirmed in the information supplied.

Our take: the battery choice matters as much as the motor

The new motor supplies the headline, but the battery split gives this launch its most useful talking point. Giant offers substantial capacity as standard, while Liv shows that a full-power motor doesn’t necessarily have to come with the largest possible battery.

For UK riders, the deciding questions will be familiar: how smoothly does the assistance arrive on slippery climbs, how much range remains after a proper hilly loop, and how manageable does the bike feel when the trail gets tight?

These are promising specifications. Establishing whether the Trance and Intrigue turn them into better rides will take time on the trails.