Giant Trance Advanced E+ 2027: 120 Newton-metres, 840 watt-hours – and still lightweight!

Editor’s CONCLUSION

Giant has hit the mark with the new Trance Advanced E+. The combination of a powerful motor, long range and low weight is, quite rightly, in high demand. Unlike most new Avinox bikes, the battery is also removable – a clear advantage. Giant also offers a unique selling point when it comes to integration with its electronic dropper post. With this, Giant has produced a very compelling bike that continues to forge its own bold path to hold its own against the strong Avinox competition. However, the Taiwanese manufacturer’s system is not without its weaknesses. - Florentin Vesenbeckh, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, BIKE

120 Nm of torque, a removable 840 Wh battery and, according to the spec sheet, a weight of less than 22 kilos depending on the model: the new Giant Trance Advanced E+ doesn’t make you choose between full motor power, long range and agile handling. We’ve already taken the e-MTB for a spin. Our first impression: this approach works remarkably well on the trail. However, the bike does have one noticeable weakness, and we still need to verify the impressive weight figures for ourselves.

​In the video: BIKE reviews the Giant Trance Advanced E+

The Trance Advanced E+ is an e-all-mountain bike with a carbon frame, 160 millimetres of suspension travel at the front and 150 millimetres at the rear. It has a 29-inch front wheel and a 27.5-inch rear wheel. With this setup, Giant is capitalising on the bike’s great potential for challenging trails, without compromising on its character as a manoeuvrable all-rounder. Unlike Giant’s previous trail bike, the Trance X Advanced E+ Elite with a smaller, permanently fitted battery, a large, removable battery is an integral part of the design here.

The concept is compelling: a powerful motor, a replaceable battery designed for long rides and a robust chassis, all in a bike that isn’t meant to handle like a heavy lump. Initial riding impressions back up this approach. Giant is thus continuing to build on the development of its e-bikes. Already The Reign E+ e-enduro bike was relaunched in all its glory just under a year ago. But with the All Mountain Trance, the Taiwanese have gone one better in many respects. More motor power, greater range – and all that whilst weighing less.

​The facts about the Giant Trance Advanced E+

• Engine: Giant Syncdrive Pro 4, 120 Nm
• Battery: 840 Wh, replaceable
• optional: 280 Wh range extender
• Suspension travel: 160/150 mm
• Wheel size: 29/27.5 inches
• Frame material: Carbon
• Weight: from 21.9 kg (manufacturer’s specification, size M)
• Price: 4 models priced between 6,000 and 10,000 euros
• Maximum permissible gross vehicle weight: 140 or 156 kilos, depending on the specification

​As for the frame, Giant describes it as its lightest e-MTB chassis to date and cites a weight saving of 300 grams compared with the previous generation. In addition to the main frame, the rear triangle and the top stay are also made of carbon. This applies to all spec options, right from the entry-level model priced at 6,000 euros.

According to Giant, the complete bike is said to weigh from 21.9 kilos (top-of-the-range model, size M). That would be an impressive figure for this configuration – one that hardly any other e-MTBs can match, given its robust spec and large swappable battery. Only The R.EX red deer joins the Avinox range of bikes with a removable battery It is comparable to similar models, but the top-of-the-range version is even more expensive.

SyncDrive Pro 4 with 120 Nm

The new 48-volt SyncDrive Pro 4 motor is in full swing. Giant quotes a torque of 120 Nm, a peak power output of up to 850 watts and a motor weight of 2.4 kilograms. If these figures are confirmed in laboratory tests, it would be a very powerful combination. In terms of weight, this figure is significantly lower than those of Bosch (2.8 kg) and Avinox (M2S 2.6 kg). However, we have not yet been able to verify the motor’s weight. Even the previous-generation motor Syncdrive Pro MG stood out in the BIKE test, particularly due to its light weight score points.

On the trail, the increase in power is clearly noticeable. The motor feels powerful; in particular, its robust thrust at low cadence really shapes the riding experience. The bike accelerates vigorously out of slow, steep sections. Even at the second-highest (of six) pre-set assistance levels, the power is very noticeable. A laboratory test will have to show exactly how high the torque and peak power actually are, and how consistent the assistance remains under sustained load.

Long range thanks to a large replaceable battery

The battery has also become significantly lighter, despite its increased capacity. Whilst older Trance models, with their above-average battery weight, still had room for improvement, the new battery is a real lightweight. With 840 watt-hours, it delivers plenty of power and can be removed quickly and easily. The stated weight of 3.7 kilos is really good for this. The 800-series batteries from Bosch and Avinox can’t quite keep up with this energy density. For comparison, here are the measurements from the BIKE lab: 3.96 kg (Bosch, 800 Wh), 3.78 kg (Avinox 800 Wh, permanently fitted), 4.07 kg (Avinox, 800 Wh, removable). We’re keen to see how Giant’s new 48-volt system performs in our range test.

​An optional 280 Wh range extender can increase the total capacity to 1,120 Wh. The additional battery can be mounted on the down tube in place of a bottle cage and is said to weigh 1.5 kilograms. In addition to the motor and battery, the Giant E+ system and its components also include the controller, the display and other electronic functions.

Integrated electronic telescopic support

Whilst we’re already familiar with the tyre pressure sensors from the new edition of the Reign E+, the Giant Contact Switch E+ introduces a completely new feature. The in-house electronic dropper post is powered by the bike’s main battery. This means there is no need to maintain and charge a separate battery, as is the case with the Rockshox wireless seatposts (Reverb AXS) and Fox (Transfer Neo) That is the case. Another advantage of this in-house solution is that, rather than using a separate lever, the Giant seatpost is activated directly via the new RideControl Ergo 5 control unit. A dedicated, ergonomically designed button transmits the signal wirelessly to the seatpost, ensuring that lowering and raising the dropper post works reliably.

Geometric evolution?

For years, Giant’s e-mountain bikes featured very distinctive geometry: a long rear end, a low front end and a flat head angle. This made the bikes very powerful to ride, but also somewhat sluggish to handle. Even with the revamped Reign E+, the engineers adopted a much more moderate approach. And the new Trance Advanced E+ takes this even further. At 443 mm, the chainstays are surprisingly short, and the front end has been raised significantly. The reach ranges from 425 to 510 millimetres across the four sizes, S to XL. The angles can be adjusted to three different settings via a flip chip on the seat stays. Giant specifies moderate head tube angles of 64.1, 64.5 and 64.9 degrees respectively. The seat tube angle is said to range between 76.6 and 77.4 degrees accordingly. Thanks to the straight seat tube, the seat tube angle does not become noticeably flatter even with a long seatpost extension.

First impressions of riding on alpine trails

The Trance really comes into its own on the climbs. The Maestro rear suspension generates plenty of traction and maintains plenty of travel even under load. Combined with the steep seat angle, this ensures superb climbing performance. Giant’s rear suspension does its job with its usual aplomb. It’s only on truly extreme climbs that you need to actively keep the front wheel on the ground. Given the short chainstays, the climbing ability is absolutely impressive. Nevertheless, compared to earlier Giant e-MTBs, the design seems less uncompromisingly geared towards maximum riding stability. Fortunately, as this in turn makes the bike more responsive.

Traction and balance are also key on descents. The Trance Advanced E+ doesn’t present itself as a specialist for any particular use case. Its strength lies in its versatility and the absence of any real weaknesses in handling. It remains playful and manoeuvrable, whilst also being quite easy to lift onto the rear wheel. Its light weight is noticeable in many situations, such as quick changes of direction or spontaneous bunny hops. At the same time, with its superb suspension and integrated stand behind the cockpit, this newcomer offers good riding stability and a sense of security even on steep and challenging trails.

A slip-up with the acoustics

The main criticism concerns the background noise, both when going uphill and downhill. Under load, the motor is always audible and subjectively seems louder than drives from Avinox or Bosch. On our test bike, the drive noise was always present, even at low assistance levels. On descents, there’s also the classic motor rattling, which was already an issue with the previous model, as with many other electric motors. You can hear it on the trail – but there are definitely louder e-MTBs out there. Anyone who is particularly sensitive to drive noise should make a point of checking this aspect during a test ride.

An overview of models and prices

All four trim levels – whether the entry-level model for 6,000 or the top-of-the-range model for 10,000 euros – feature the new top-of-the-range drivetrain, including the SyncDrive Pro 4 motor and the new 840 Wh battery. The frame is also identical to that of the top-of-the-range model across all variants. Another feature that isn’t a given: from the SE model at 6,500 euros upwards, all bikes come fitted with Giant’s electronic wireless gear system and electronic dropper post as standard. The weights are as follows: Manufacturer's specifications for size M, the prices are the recommended retail prices.

Strengths and weaknesses following the initial assessment

Strengths

• consistently balanced handling characteristics
• high-traction rear suspension
• powerful engine
• lightweight despite its large replaceable battery

Weaknesses

• loud drive noise
• Rear derailleur with separate AXS battery (Models 0 and 1)
• Electronic tyre pressure sensors are prone to faults