Get excited folks, because here we have the brand new 2023 Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite! Featuring an all-new frame and battery design that’s resulted in a huge weight reduction, this new electric mountain bike represents 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’ve 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 already had the opportunity to experience the new lightweight e-MTB platform, so be sure to check out the Liv Intrigue X Advanced E+ Elite review for our first ride report. Here we’ll be taking a closer look at the 2023 Giant Trance X E+ that we’ll be testing out on home trails over the coming weeks.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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;
- Scott Lumen eRIDE 900 SL – 15.5kg
- Orbea Rise M-LTD – 15.9kg
- Pivot Shuttle SL Team WC – 16.47kg
- Specialized Levo SL S-Works – 16.9kg
- Trek Fuel EXe 9.9 XTR – 17.47kg
- Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 0 – 19kg
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+.
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%. The setup will set you back $970 AUD for the battery plus $170 AUD for the mounting kit.
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.
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.
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.
The bike we’ve received for testing is the Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 2, which has a sticker price of $9,499 AUD. We’ll be giving it a thorough rinse on home turf over the coming weeks, though if you’re champing at the bit to know how the platform rides, be sure to check out our Liv Intrigue X E+ review for our first ride impressions.
2023 Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 0
- Frame | Advanced Grade Carbon Fibre, Maestro Suspension Design, 140mm Travel
- Fork | Fox 36 Live Valve, Factory Series, 44mm Offset, 150mm Travel
- Shock | Fox Float Live Valve, Factory Series, 185×52.5mm
- Motor | Giant SyncDrive Pro 2, 85Nm
- Battery | Giant EnergyPak 400Wh
- Wheels | Zipp 3Zero Moto, Carbon Rims, 30mm Inner Rim Width
- Tyres | Maxxis Dissector EXO 29×2.4in Front & Rekon EXO 27.5×2.4in Rear
- Drivetrain | SRAM X01 Eagle AXS 1×12 w/Praxis Carbon 36T Crankset & 10-52T Cassette
- Brakes | SRAM Code RSC 4-Piston w/220mm Front & 200mm Rear Rotors
- Handlebar | Giant Contact SLR Trail Integrated, 800mm Width
- Stem | Giant Contact SLR Trail Integrated, Length: 40/45/50mm
- Seatpost | Fox Transfer Factory Series, Travel: 125mm (S), 150mm (M), 175mm (L), 200mm (XL)
- RRP | $18,999 AUD
2023 Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 1
- Frame | Advanced Grade Carbon Fibre, Maestro Suspension Design, 140mm Travel
- Fork | Fox 36 Live Valve, Performance Elite, 44mm Offset, 150mm Travel
- Shock | Fox Float Live Valve, Performance Elite, 185×52.5mm
- Motor | Giant SyncDrive Pro 2, 85Nm
- Battery | Giant EnergyPak 400Wh
- Wheels | Giant TRX 2, Carbon Rims, 30mm Inner Rim Width
- Tyres | Maxxis Minion DHF EXO 29×2.5in Front & Dissector EXO 27.5×2.4in Rear
- Drivetrain | SRAM GX Eagle AXS 1×12 w/Praxis Carbon 36T Crankset & 10-52T Cassette
- Brakes | SRAM Code R 4-Piston w/220mm Front & 200mm Rear Rotors
- Handlebar | Giant Contact SLR Trail Integrated, 800mm Width
- Stem | Giant Contact SLR Trail Integrated, Length: 40/45/50mm
- Seatpost | TranzX RAD+, Travel: 120-150mm (S), 140-170mm (M), 170-200mm (L-XL)
- RRP | $14,499 AUD
2023 Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 2
- Frame | Advanced Grade Carbon Fibre, Maestro Suspension Design, 140mm Travel
- Fork | Fox 36, Performance Series, GRIP Damper, 44mm Offset, 150mm Travel
- Shock | Fox Float DPS, Performance Series, 185×52.5mm
- Motor | Giant SyncDrive Pro 2, 85Nm
- Battery | Giant EnergyPak 400Wh
- Wheels | Shimano MT410 Hubs & Giant AM Alloy Rims, 30mm Inner Rim Width
- Tyres | Maxxis Minion DHF EXO 29×2.5in Front & Dissector EXO 27.5×2.4in Rear
- Drivetrain | Shimano SLX 1×12 w/Praxis Alloy 36T Crankset & 10-51T Cassette
- Brakes | Shimano SLX 4-Piston w/203mm Rotors
- Handlebar | Giant Contact SL Trail, 780mm Width
- Stem | Giant Contact SL Trail, Length: 40mm (S-M), 50mm (L-XL)
- Seatpost | Giant Contact Switch, Travel: 125mm (S), 150mm (M), 170mm (L-XL)
- RRP | $9,499 AUD
2023 Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 3
- Frame | Advanced Grade Carbon Fibre, Maestro Suspension Design, 140mm Travel
- Fork | RockShox 35 Gold RL, Motion Control Damper, 44mm Offset, 150mm Travel
- Shock | RockShox Deluxe Select R, 185×52.5mm
- Motor | Giant SyncDrive Pro 2, 85Nm
- Battery | Giant EnergyPak 400Wh
- Wheels | Shimano MT410 Hubs & Giant AM Alloy Rims, 30mm Inner Rim Width
- Tyres | Maxxis Minion DHF EXO 29×2.5in Front & Dissector EXO 27.5×2.4in Rear
- Drivetrain | Shimano Deore 1×12 w/Praxis Alloy 36T Crankset & 10-51T Cassette
- Brakes | Shimano M420 4-Piston w/203mm Rotors
- Handlebar | Giant Contact SL Trail, 780mm Width
- Stem | Giant Contact SL Trail, Length: 40mm (S-M), 50mm (L-XL)
- Seatpost | Giant Contact Switch, Travel: 125mm (S), 150mm (M), 170mm (L-XL)
- RRP | $8,799 AUD
