New Liv Intrigue X Advanced E+ launches alongside unisex bike

By Jack Luke

Published: Tuesday, 21 March 2023 at 12:00 am


The Trance Advanced E+ Elite 0 is Giant’s lightest electric mountain bike yet, weighing a claimed 18.8kg for a size-medium bike.

The bike uses Giant’s new SyncDrive Pro 2 electric bike motor system, which was developed in conjunction with Yamaha.

The electric mountain bike also uses the new EnergyPak Smart 400 battery. This is built around higher-density batteries and was developed in conjunction with Panasonic.

The new Trance also features (slightly) updated geometry, an adjustable one-piece cockpit and new motor controls.

The Liv Intrigue X Advanced E+ Elite is launching alongside the unisex Trance Advanced E+ Elite. This is the brand’s first carbon electric trail bike

In keeping with Liv’s design ethos, the bike feature’s women’s-specific geometry. Liv is the last major manufacturer that still manufactures separate unisex and women’s frames.

The Giant Trance X Advanced E+ Elite range starts at £5,499 for a Deore-equipped bike.

The top-spec Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 0 comes with Fox Live Valve, a full SRAM Eagle X01 AXS drivetrain, Zipp 3Zero Moto wheels, Quarq Tyrewiz pressure sensors and full-carbon everything. It will set you back £12,999.

No international pricing was available at the time of writing.

A lighter and more powerful motor, plus new battery tech

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The bikes are based around a new motor.
Giant

The Giant Trance X Advance E+ is powered by a new battery pack developed in conjunction with Panasonic. This is based on 22700 cells.

According to Giant, 22700 cells are lighter and more energy dense than cells typically used in electric bike battery packs.

The batteries also “stay cooler, which means less stress on the system and a longer total lifecycle”, says Giant.

The bike ships with a new smart charger. Giant says this stays in constant communication with the battery pack, extending battery life.

The charger can be used to charge the battery up to 60 per cent – the ideal charge level for long-term storage, according to Giant.

The bike is built around Giant’s new SyncDrive Pro 2 motor. As with the brand’s previous motors, this has been developed in collaboration with Yamaha.

This is Giant’s most powerful motor to date, delivering up to 85Nm of torque and up to 400 per cent support.

It is claimed to be lighter at 2.7kg (Giant has not supplied savings figures) and quieter than the previous-generation motor.

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The motor control is integrated into the top tube.
Giant

The bike’s Smart Assist mode can control the motor automatically via six sensors.

As with most motors, the system’s behaviours can be customised in a companion app.

Adjustments available in the app include Launch Control (this adjusts how quickly torque from the motor kicks in), assistance support level and more.

Giant notes these adjustments can be made to any existing or future bike fitted with the SyncDrive Pro 2 motor.

The system’s controls are integrated into the top tube of the bike, with a supplementary control integrated into the grips.

Suspension and geometry

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The bike’s geometry has been updated, but only a little.
Giant

All bikes in the Trance Advanced E+ Elite 0 range are built around a mullet wheel setup.

The bike is designed to run a 150mm-travel fork and has 140mm of rear-wheel travel. This is controlled by Giant’s long-standing Maestro suspension system.

The geometry of the bike has also been updated, but only slightly.

The previous-generation bike used 29er wheels front and rear. The adoption of a 27.5in rear wheel on the new bike means chainstay length has shrunk significantly to 447mm on all sizes of the new bike (down from 473mm).

Reach, stack, head angle and seat angle all remain unchanged.

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The geometry of the women’s-specific bike is broadly similar to the unisex bike.
Liv

A flip chip enables riders to switch between high and low positions.

The stack and reach of the women’s-specific models is different, but all other figures remain the same.

2023 Giant Trance Advanced E+ Elite geometry table

Small (low)Small (high)Medium (low)Medium (high)Large (low)Large (high)Extra-large (low)Extra-large (high)
Seat tube length (mm)400 400 425 425 450 450 475 475 
Seat tube angle (degrees)77.2 78.0 76.0 76.7 76.0 76.7 76.0 76.7 
Top tube length (mm)577 575 607 605 636 634 665 663 
Head tube length (mm)95 95 100 100 115 115 130 130 
Head tube angle (degrees) 65.7 66.5 65.8 66.5 65.8 66.5 65.8 66.5 
Fork rake (mm)44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 
Trail (mm)113 108 113 108 113 108 113 108 
Wheelbase (mm) 1,194 1,195 1,215 1,212 1,244 1,244 1,275 1,275 
Chainstay length (mm)447 447 447 447 447 447 447 447 
Bottom bracket drop (mm)10 10 10 10 
Stack (mm)607601611605625619639633
Reach (mm)438447457462480487505513
Stand over height (mm)740746727734718726715723
Handlebar width (mm)780 780 780 780 780 780 780 780 
Stem length (mm)40 40 40 40 50 50 50 50 
Crank length (mm)160.0 160.0 165.0 165.0 165.0 165.0 170.0 170.0 

2023 Liv Intrigue Advanced E+ Elite geometry table

Extra-small (low)Extra-small (high)Small (low)Extra-small (low)Medium (low)Medium (high)Large (low)Large (high)
Seat tube length (mm)380 380 400 400 425 425 450 450
Seat tube angle (degrees)77.2 78.0 77.2 78.0 76.0 76.7 76.0 76.7
Top tube length (mm)557 555 572 570 597 595 622 620
Head tube length (mm)95 95 95 95 100 100 115 115
Head tube angle (degrees) 65.7 66.5 65.7 66.5 65.8 66.5 65.8 66.5
Fork rake (mm)44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44
Trail (mm)113 108 113 108 113 108 113 108
Wheelbase (mm) 1,174 1,175 1,188 1,190 1,200 1,201 1,228 1,229
Chainstay length (mm)447 447 447 447 447 447 447 447
Bottom bracket drop (mm)30 20 30 20 30 20 30 20
Stack (mm)606 601 606 601 611 605 625 619
Reach (mm)419 427 434 442 444 452 466 473
Stand over height (mm)722 730 726 735 717 726 711 723
Handlebar width (mm)760 760 760 760 800 800 800 800
Stem length (mm)40 40 40 40 40 40 50 50
Crank length (mm)160 160 160 160 165.0 165.0 165.0 165.0

An adjustable… one-piece cockpit?

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Top-spec bikes get a new one-piece cockpit.
Giant

The bike features Giant’s all-new Contact SLR Trail one-piece cockpit.

Unlike the majority of one-piece cockpits, the stack and angle of the bars can be adjusted.

A series of specially moulded spacers sit beneath the stem. These adjust the stack and rotation of the bars.

The top cap for the stem features swappable inserts to fit bike computers, lights or other accessories.

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Spacers are used to adjust the angle and stack of the cockpit.
Giant

The cockpit has a claimed weight of 255g in an unspecified width.

Giant claims this presents a 30 per cent reduction versus a regular two-piece carbon cockpit, and a 40 per cent reduction versus a two-piece alloy cockpit.

The bars are also claimed to offer 16 per cent more vertical compliance than a Contact SLR Trail carbon handlebar.