The new 2023 Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite combines 19kg weight with full-power motor

Today sees the arrival of the brand new 2023 Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite and Liv Intrigue X Advanced E+ Elite. Featuring an all-new frame and battery design, which has resulted in a huge weight reduction, these new electric mountain bikes represent the biggest evolution yet since Giant first introduced the Trance X E+ in 2018.

We’ve ridden all three iterations of the Trance X E+ platform since then, and while they have been decent e-MTBs, it’s no secret that we found them to be lagging behind the competition in many ways. The new bike aims to correct this, while also forging a unique path amongst its main competitors.

We’ve had the opportunity to experience the new lightweight e-MTB platform, so be sure to check out our Liv Intrigue X Advanced E+ Elite review to see how it handles on the trail. Here we’ll be unpacking all of the new tech, specs and pricing of the 2023 Giant Trance X E+ lineup.

Featuring an all-new frame and battery design, which has resulted in a huge weight reduction, these new electric mountain bikes represent the biggest evolution yet since Giant first introduced the Trance X E+ in 2018.

2023 giant trance x e+ emtb electric
The Giant Trance X E+ gets a big update for 2023 with a new frame, a mullet setup, and a 4kg weight reduction.

An overview of the new 2023 Giant Trance X E+

For 2023 the Giant Trance X E+ has received an all-new new frame, battery and wheel setup. It remains as Giant’s versatile trail e-MTB, and it still features a 150mm travel fork with 140mm of rear travel via the Maestro dual-link suspension design.

Unlike the old model however, the new Trance X E+ follows in the footsteps of the latest Reign E+ by embracing the mullet trend, with a 29in front wheel and a 27.5in rear wheel. As well as offering more clearance for the rider, the smaller rear wheel has allowed Giant’s engineers to radically shorten the chainstays. The rear centre length has shrunk from 473mm on the old bike to 447mm on the new bike, which is a massive change.

2023 giant trance x e+ emtb electric
The 27.5in rear wheel allows for much shorter chainstays.

Low weight, full-powered motor

Aside from the welcome move to a mullet setup, it’s the motor and battery combination where things get particularly interesting with the new 2023 Giant Trance X E+.

This bike is built around the latest SyncDrive Pro 2 motor, which is manufactured by Yamaha and designed in conjunction with Giant. The motor offers 85Nm of peak torque and utilises six sensors for adapting its power output.

2023 giant trance x e+ emtb electric
The Giant Trance X E+ is powered by the SyncDrive Pro motor with 85Nm of peak torque.

Unlike the old Trance X E+ that was equipped with a 625 or 750Wh battery, the new model elects for a much smaller and lighter 400Wh battery. The battery itself is also brand new and is manufactured by Panasonic. It features higher volume 22700 cells that are said to run cooler while offering greater discharge capacity. According to Giant, this is the first time these new cells have been incorporated into an e-MTB.

The new battery is said to weigh just 2.3kg. And because it’s considerably slimmer in profile, it allows the downtube to also be made smaller, resulting in a much sleeker look and further weight savings.

2023 giant trance x e+ emtb electric
The 400Wh battery is lighter, and it allows weight to be saved from the frame too, which features a slimmer and more aesthetically-pleasing downtube.

Giant Trance X E+ weight

The Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 0 is claimed to weigh just 19kg, which is a whole 4kg lighter than its predecessor. It’s also around 3-4kg lighter than popular e-MTBs on the market like the Specialized Levo, Trek Rail and Merida eOne-Sixty.

However, it isn’t quite as light as the dedicated low-powered, lightweight e-MTBs on the market like the Scott Lumen, Specialized Levo SL, Orbea Rise, Pivot Shuttle SL or Trek Fuel EXe. Here’s a look at the claimed weights across all of those options;

2023 giant trance x e+ emtb electric
The Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 0 is claimed to weigh just 19kg, putting this bike right into interesting territory.

Of course the key differentiator with the new Trance X E+ is its use of a full-powered motor. With up 85Nm of peak torque, it offers significantly more grunt than the 35-60Nm output of those other bikes listed above.

This combination of low weight and full power puts the new Trance X E+ into unique territory. Indeed there are few bikes on the market offering this kind of setup. The original Focus JAM² was a notable trailblazer in this regard, having utilised a 378Wh battery and a full-powered motor when it launched back in 2016. More recently the Rotwild R.X375 has combined a small 375Wh battery with a Shimano EP8 motor.

For the most part however, the majority of brands are leaving a wider gap between their lightweight and full-powered e-MTB models. A gap that Giant appears to be intent on filling with its new Trance X E+.

2023 giant trance x e+ emtb electric
The RideControl Go module is integrated into the frame’s top tube for a sleek look.

New range extender & a sleek user interface

While many riders are likely to find the capacity of the 400Wh battery inside the new Giant Trance X E+ to be sufficient for most of their rides, it will be possible to increase range by way of an aftermarket piggyback battery.

The 200Wh range extender battery is designed to fit into a specially-designed bottle cage on the downtube, and boosts total capacity by 50%. Giant Australia will be receiving stock of the new range extender batteries in the next couple of months, and the setup will set you back $970 AUD for the battery plus $170 AUD for the mounting kit.

2023 giant trance x e+ emtb electric
There’s a new optional 200Wh range extender battery, which will boost total capacity by 50%.

As for the rest of the electronics, the Trance X E+ carries over the RideControl Go console that integrates directly into the frame’s top tube. You’ll also find the slim RideControl Ergo 3 remote located next to the left-hand grip.

Giant’s RideControl app offers additional metrics and adjustability. By pairing the app to your bike, you can tweak the motor’s output and support levels to suit your riding and help maximise the available battery range.

2023 giant trance x e+ emtb electric
The discreet RideControl Ergo 3 remote integrates into the locking collar of the left-hand grip.

Geometry

Geometry on the new Giant Trance X E+ is much the same as the outgoing model. The head and seat angles are identical, and the reach is pretty much the same across the four frame sizes. You’ll still find a flip chip in the seatstay pivot, which offers 10mm of adjustment to the BB height.

Really the only significant change is to the chainstay length, with the new bike chopping off 26mm from the old bike.

2023 giant trance x e+ geometry size chart
Giant Trance X E+ Size Chart

Giant Trance X E+ price & specs

There will be four spec options in the Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite lineup for 2023, with prices starting at $8,799 AUD for the base model.

All of these new bikes share the same full-carbon frame, SyncDrive Pro 2 motor and 400Wh Panasonic battery. The top two spec options also incorporate the Fox E-Live Valve suspension system, along with a new Contact SLR Trail one-piece carbon cockpit.

There’s no word from Giant yet about a cheaper version with an alloy frame, though we suspect that won’t be too far away.

If you’re keen to know how the new platform rides, be sure to check out our Liv Intrigue X E+ review for the lowdown. Otherwise read on for the specs and prices of the full Trance X E+ range.

2023 giant trance x advanced e+ elite
The top-end Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 0 is equipped with Zipp 3Zero Moto wheels, Fox E-Live Valve suspension, and a SRAM X01 Eagle AXS drivetrain.

2023 Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 0

2023 giant trance x advanced e+ elite
The Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 1 also gets Fox E-Live Valve suspension, along with carbon Praxis cranks and a one-piece integrated cockpit.

2023 Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 1

2023 giant trance x e advanced e+ emtb electric
Sliding in under the $10K barrier, the Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 2 specs a good old fashioned Fox 36 fork and Float DPS shock.

2023 Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 2

2023 giant trance x advanced e+ elite emtb electric
The cheapest option in the range is the Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 3, which is equipped with exactly the same carbon frame, motor and 400Wh battery as the top-end models.

2023 Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 3

2023 giant trance x advanced e+ elite
We’ve already had time on the new lightweight platform – see the verdict in our Liv Intrigue X Advanced E+ Elite review.

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