The Escape N7 City weds Giant's aluminium XTC off-road frame with a seven-speed hub gear and a host of sensible accessories: mudguards, rack, lights, kickstand, even a frame-mounted wheel lock.
The frame is the sweet hydroformed XTC one you know, only without disc or V-brake fittings. The Nexus roller brakes are a bit spongy before they bite and are awkward to unhook to get the wheels out.
You need more slack in the cable than the brakes use in normal operation, so set them up with the cable adjusters wound half out and wind 'em in for wheel removal. Or fit Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres and never puncture. A hub gear makes lots of sense on a commuter, and the Nexus seven-speed has well spaced ratios. But it doesn't have a great reputation for reliability, and even on test ours crunched into and slipped out of third. Not a good sign.
An upgrade to the newer Nexus eight-speed hub is overdue.