Giant & Liv together launch two all-new ebikes today that hope to refocus eMTB choice on not just more power, but better full-power control. Don’t worry, there’s more power too. Between 20-40% boost upgrade to 120Nm makes both the new Giant Trance Advanced E+ and Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ shoot up the climbs. And the all-new full-power eMTBs also get more travel and more capable geometry to fly downhill, as well.
But honestly, the two big upgrades in this new generation are much better control of all that pedal-assist power, and a new rider-tuned battery configuration for the women-focused Liv eMTBs.
2026 Giant Trance & Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ get more power
It feels like ever since DJI & the Avinox motor system smashed onto the ebike scene, there’s been an eMTB arms race to deliver maximum power. I think that essentially boils down to the fact that most eMTB buyers don’t get a chance to try several different powertrains before they buy. And much like range anxiety makes us pick the biggest battery possible. Power FOMO is real. And no one wants to spend a ton of money on an ebike, only to find out that it’s not powerful enough. Or worse yet, that your friend’s new ebike is more powerful, and you can’t keep up.
It’s the reason that light-assist ebikes look to be DOA, even if many of them are a lot of fun to ride.
Both the new Giant Trance Advanced E+ and Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ share the same new SyncDrive Pro 4 ebike motor developed in-house together with Yamaha. And there is certainly more pedal-assist. Significantly higher torque output, now comes to 120Nm of continuous support. And max power is up too, now at 850W peak. Plus, now with 500% max assistance, you get more eMTB motor support than ever!
No, those are not the highest figures on the eMTB market. But rest assured, that’s still a lot of power.
More controllable full power, even at zero cadence
But with greater power come greater need for control.
While it’s relatively simple to just add more peak power or higher torque, putting that into the ground through a 2.4″ wide tire on often loose terrain is a tougher challenge. And then, making a >20kg ebike manageable under full-power without shooting you off the trail, into a tree, or into shared-access traffic is a completely different story.
There’s a reason that there’s quite a lot of ongoing backlash from Avinox’s ‘more power is better‘ mindset from inside the bike industry, from trail access advocates, and even potentially from national regulators. Super power can be fun. But it also can be problematic if not well controlled.
And control is really one of the high points of the new Yamaha-produced SyncDrive Pro 4 motor at the heart of these two new Giant & Liv E+ eMTBs.
A big secret to the new motor control is its new “torque-based, zero-cadence design”. The new Giant/Liv motor claims to be able to deliver its peak torque within just 0.28 seconds of you pressing down on the pedals. And it doesn’t require the crank arms to actually move. That’s a big difference to the feel of most ebike drive systems, which require physical crank movement to match your power input.
Now with Traction Control
What that translates to is faster pedal-assist response from the Giant/Liv motor. And most importantly, the ability to restart ebike motor support almost instantly, and get moving again when you hit an obstacle and come to an unexpected stop.
Tied with more sensors in the whole system (now increased to 6), Giant/Liv add a new Traction control mode that measures power output at the chainring (plus slope and cadence) and detects slip at the rear with a wheel speed sensor. So when that bigger new power comes on too quickly and breaks the rear tire loose, the system instantly manages output up and down to make sure all of the power translates into forward motion.
The result is a lot less wheel slip than we are used to in full-power ebikes in loose conditions. And especially on really steep ascents with steps or variable traction (like loose over hardpack), the new E+ system simply puts the power down in a much more manageable way.
What about battery capacities? 840Wh or 560Wh+280Wh!
The last generation of Giant Trance Advanced E+ & Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ that we really covered in-depth, combined full power motors (85Nm & 600W, at the time) with half-size 400Wh batteries to keep weights down. In between, there was a 85Nm & 800W update with full-sized 800Wh batteries for more range.
Now, Giant and Liv separate themselves a bit to better serve the actual riders who buy their ebikes. Since the Giant’s come in larger sizes and generally get heavier riders, they come with an 840Wh removable internal battery inside the downtube.
But on the other hand, since most Liv buyers are smaller and lighter, they get a smaller, lighter 560Wh removable internal battery. But lest the Liv buyers suffer range anxiety, Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ eMTBs, at the same spec and price level as their Giant analogs, also come with an external 280Wh range extender battery. So the Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ buyers still get the same 840Wh total battery capacity, but they only have to carry the heavier setup on longer rides.
Now guys, don’t worry, you can ride further, too. The Giant Trance Advanced E+ eMTBs are also compatible with the same EnergyPak Plus range extender. It doesn’t come standard with the ebikes. But you can add on an extra 280Wh to get a max 1120Wh capacity for longer supported rides, if you buy the 280Wh range extender separately.
What else is new?
Besides the new more-powerful motor, the enhanced motor control, and the new battery options, the new Giant Trance & Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ also now get 10mm more Maestro dual-link 4-bar travel.
Both eMTBs are still mullet builds – 27.5″ rear and 29″ front wheels – but now they get 160mm front & 150mm rear travel for more technical trail capability. Because if you are hauling full-power eMTB weight around, you might as well be able to handle any trail.
Giant and Liv also reshape geometry to make these new ebikes ready for anything. Both eMTBs share the same 64.5° head angle, 77° seat angle, and 443mm chainstays.
They also both get a 3-position flip-chip at the top of the seatstays to let you go lower or higher, with a +/- 0.4° tweak to the angles.
While much is the same between the two frames, the Liv Intrigue E+ comes in 4 sizes (XS-L) with generally lower Stack and shorter Reach to fit smaller riders. And sharing the same angles, the Giant Trance E+ comes in 4 bigger sizes (S-XL).
Overall, Giant says this is the lightest full-power eMTB they’ve ever made. They saved 300g off the latest carbon frame and forged links, and dropped 1850g off total ebike weight, for a claimed total weight of 21.9kg. The Liv carbon frame is more than 100g lighter than the Giant, and the complete Intrigue Advanced E+ comes in at just 20.0kg claimed.
Interestingly, that makes this new Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ with more power and a bigger battery, just 200g heavier than the previous light model that only had a 400Wh battery inside.
Giant Trance Advanced E+ – Pricing, options & availability
The new Giant Trance Advanced E+ comes in four specs globally, all sharing the same carbon frame and SyncDrive Pro 4 ebike powertrain. The top-tier €10K Trance Advanced E+ 0 gets Fox Factory suspension, a SRAM XX AXS Transmission groupset, TRP Evo Pro brakes, and heavy-duty Giant TRX HD carbon wheels. Next, the €8000 Trance Advanced E+ 1 goes Fox Performance spec, SRAM GX AXS Transmission, and alloy Giant TRA HD wheels.
Then, the special edition €6500 Trance Advanced E+ SE gets a special ebike-tuned Crest TR Elite 36 fork and TR shock from Giant’s in-house suspension department in Taiwan, plus wireless electronic TRP drivetrain running an 11sp LinkGlide cassette with automated shifting controls. And the entry-level €6000 Trance Advanced E+ 2 goes for RockShox Psylo Gold fork, Deluxe Select shock, and a Deore mechanical 12-speed drivetrain.
Globally, the new Trance Advanced E+ eMTBs roll out to Giant dealer bike shops today. But of course, the elephant in the room is US availability. There is still a US import restriction in place, so no US availability is expected in the immediate future.
Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ – Pricing, options & availability
Putting women first, to get more women on bikes, the new Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ also comes in four complete ebike builds, mostly at the same price, even with the addition of the range extender battery being included. Lighter weight for most rides was the real driver behind the smaller internal battery, to maintain control & maneuverability. But Liv thought it was important to include maximum range for those women who still want to ride further. The Liv models also include lighter shock and fork tunes, better suited for lighter riders to get the most out of their suspension, even with added ebike weight.
The flagship €10,000 Intrigue Advanced E+ 0 gets Fox Factory, SRAM XX AXS, TRP Evo Pro brakes in shiny gold, and the Giant TRX HD carbon wheels. The €8000 Intrigue Advanced E+ 1 gets Fox Performance, SRAM GX AXS, and the alloy Giant TRA HD wheels. And €6500 Intrigue Advanced E+ SE gets the Crest TR Elite 36 fork & shock, electronic TRP 11sp LinkGlide drivetrain and special edition paintjob. All three of which include the 56oWh internal battery AND the 280Wh EnergyPak Plus range extender at no extra charge, making them all great values.
The entry-level €6000 Intrigue Advanced E+ 2 does not get the range extender, but otherwise the same RockShox Psylo Gold fork, Deluxe Select shock, and Deore mechanical 12-speed spec.
One more thing…
A new KMC eFlat HT high-torque flattop chain!
Both new Giant & Liv E+ eMTBs also all come with a new high-torque chain that they developed together with KMC.
The new gold KMC eFlat HT was designed for SRAM Transmission derailleurs and cassettes paired to high-powered ebike powertrains, with combined rider plus motor input up to 300Nm. The new chain is said to be 21% stronger than the benchmark (read: SRAM) chain with 35% higher pin strength to prevent chain breakages on high-powered eMTB, plus significantly longer lifespan.
As someone who has broken at least 3 chains in between torque-heavy Avinox & S-Works ebikes, I really look forward to getting more time on this shiny new KMC chain!
