The new Giant Trance Advanced E+ and Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ offer 120Nm of torque and 850W peak power, and are packed with Giant’s latest ebike technology.
Giant’s E+ system now offers traction control, electronic-shifting capability and a wirelessly operated electronic dropper post connected to the bike’s main battery, which offers almost 20,000 activations even after the main battery reaches 0%.
The proprietary RideControl app offers safety features such as bike tracking, remote locking and an alert if it senses movement when the bike is locked.
SyncDrive 4 motor
The new Trance and Intrigue models are the first bikes to showcase Giant’s new SyncDrive Pro 4 motor, which offers 120Nm torque and 850W peak power. This trumps Bosch’s top Performance Line CX motor (120Nm and 750W peak power), but falls short of the latest Avinox M2S with its 150Nm peak torque and 1,500W peak power.
Giant claims a weight of 2.4kg for the SyncDrive Pro 4 and says this makes it the brand's highest-ratio power-to-weight motor yet. Giant has also adopted a new 48V system, which it says reduces heat build-up, which could boost efficiency.
RideControl Ergo 5 system
Giant’s Ergo 5 controller is a wireless interface that controls the modes and features of the bike. On the new Trance and Intrigue, Ergo 5 controllers activate the e-dropper post, and select assistance modes, Boost mode and Walk Assist, and can be used to activate some electronic derailleurs.
Unlike Orbea’s RS System, the Ergo 5 controllers are wireless. Giant specifies you can use one Ergo 5 controller or a pair. An Ergo 5 can be used on the left-hand side to control the assistance modes and the e-dropper.
If you have select derailleurs (such as the TRP unit on the Advanced 2 model), another Ergo 5 controller can be run on the right-hand side to provide electronic-shifting functionality.
The Contact Switch E+ dropper post is wired into the bike’s main battery for power. This is a similar architecture to Orbea’s RS post, although the Switch E+ does not have programmable smart-dropper functionality like the Orbea RS.
The Contact Switch E+ post is 30.9mm in diameter and available with either 100mm, 140mm, 170mm or 200mm travel.
Traction control system
Like some of the latest electric mountain bikes, including those with the new Avinox motors, the new Trance and Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ models will feature a traction control system (TCS). Sensors monitor cadence and torque while pedalling in order to detect rear-wheel slip. The traction control system will temporarily reduce assistance, then revert to the rider’s selected assistance level.
Giant says four parameters are monitored, enabling the onboard computer to tell when the wheel has broken traction.
Traction control could be useful on loose, technical climbs, especially in lower gears where the rear wheel is being fed a large amount of torque.
Smart Gateway 2.0
The digital brain of the Giant E+ is Smart Gateway 2.0. It connects the SyncDrive motor, EnergyPak battery, RideControl system, Go Lux display and Aegis safety features together.
The system runs the e-dropper, integrated e-shifting, Aegis tyre checker, real-time clock, E-Lock feature, and Aegis Radar.
The Aegis Tyre Checker enables you to track front and rear tyre pressures, displays live updates and alerts you when pressure reaches your programmable limits or drops rapidly. Giant says it offers up to 600 hours of battery life and works with tubes or tubeless tyres.
There are six sensors inputting into the system and six modes to select: Eco, Tour, Active, Sport, Power and Boost, and each is customisable.
RideControl app
Giant’s RideControl app offers riders the chance to set their assistance level, and tune the maximum torque, acceleration, responsiveness, and overrun available in the selected support mode.
Unfortunately, bike thefts happen, but Giant’s latest RideControl app offers features that could help combat thieves.
The eLock is a coded lock that enables you to disable your bike remotely. The app also enables you to play a sound from the bike, and uses Apple’s Find My network to locate the bike and get directions to its location.
EnergyPak Plus 280 Range Extender
The 280Wh-capacity range extender is included with all models in the UK and Ireland, and in all models except the base Advanced 2 model in the rest of the world. The EnergyPak Plus 280 mounts to the bottle cage bosses and Giant claims a weight of 1.5kg.
Along with the main 840Wh battery, the total battery capacity with the range extender fitted is 1,120Wh.
Giant says the EnergyPak Plus 280 will maintain 80% of its peak performance for more than 800 cycles, with a total battery life of 2,300 cycles.
Trance Advanced E+ and Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ construction
The Trance Advanced E+ and Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ are both based around the same carbon frame, using a mixed-wheel-size setup and offering 150mm travel via Giant’s Maestro suspension system. Up front is a 160mm fork and top-spec builds use Giant's composite integrated carbon bar and stem.
Giant claims full builds weigh in at 21.9kg, which is on a par with other full-power eMTBs.
The bike has a three-position flip chip, which enables the head angle to be altered by 0.4 degrees in either direction from the stock 64.5 degrees. The seat angle is 77 degrees, adjustable by +/- 0.4 degrees with the flip chip.
Top-spec Advanced 0 builds have Fox Factory suspension with a 36 fork and Float X shock, carbon wheels and SRAM XX Eagle Transmission.
The Advanced 1 gets Fox Performance suspension, aluminium wheels and SRAM GX AXS Transmission.
Advanced SE models have a Crest fork and shock, and a TRP wireless derailleur, while the Advanced 2 model sports a RockShox Psylo Gold RC fork, and a 12-speed Deore drivetrain.
Price and availability
There are four models each of the Giant Trance and Liv Intrigue. Giant say bikes will begin shipping from November.
- Advanced 0 E+: £8,999 / $11,700 / €9,999
- Advanced 1 E+: £6,999 / $9,400 / €7,999
- Advanced SE E+: £5,999 / $7,800 / €6,699
- Advanced 2 E+: £5,499 / $NA / €5,999
While all Liv Intrigues are sold with the range extender in the UK and Ireland, outside the UK and Ireland the Advanced 2 model does not include the range extender.
