Giant and Liv have unveiled refreshed versions of their Stance E+ and Embolden E+ electric mountain bikes, respectively. With more powerful motors and bigger batteries on the top two models, plus more front and rear travel across all bikes in the new ranges, the aim appears to be more capable bikes for bigger days out while keeping the price more accessible than the Giant Reign and Trance e-MTBs.
- Specialized reckons it has created a new genre with the Levo R e-MTB
- SRAM’s most powerful brake, the Maven, adds new SwingLink feature and smaller pistons
- Best electric mountain bikes
We might only be in March 2026, but these bikes were badged up as ‘MY27’ models on the Giant and Liv press and dealer material we got to nosey at before publication of this article. Time really flies over in Taiwan, then!
New motor and bigger batteries = more torque and less range anxiety
Spec’d on the Stance E+ and Embolden E+ 0 and 1 models, the new SyncDrive Pro 3X motor can kick out up to 100Nm of torque and 800W of peak power to help riders up steep terrain and accelerate more easily. There’s also a ‘smart assist’ support mode which utilises six sensors plus “advanced algorithms” to determine how much support you’ll need on variable terrain. This should mean no unnecessary energy is used and just the right amount of support at all times, making your battery last longer.
Giant and Liv reckon you should get a range of anywhere from 50-120km from the motor paired with its 800Wh Energy Pak, and of course, you can also add an extender for even more range.
Also new is an updated rear suspension system, still a linkage-driven, single-pivot design to isolate the rear shock, but now with 140mm of active suspension – this should mean more control on technical descents and the ability to really hammer it up steep climbs, optimised for e-MTBs to “… provide increased support and motion damping to compensate for added bike weight and improve traction on variable trail surfaces”, says Giant.
Up front, you now get 150mm of travel, so all in all, far more generous than the 125/140mm pairing on the previous generation.
Geometry (and everything else)
It would generally be unfair to say the Giant group’s women-specific arm, Liv, is just branding, as plenty of its models across road, city, and MTB feature proper women-specific components and geometry vs unisex Giant bikes. In the case of the Embolden vs the Stance, however, the differences are pretty slight. There is the option of an XS with 27.5″ tyres in the Embolden range (more of a height-specific than gender-specific consideration, mind), but otherwise, the Embolden bikes are just a little more compact in places: taking a size medium as an example, the Embolden has a 59.5cm top tube, while the Stance’s is 60.6cm. The trail and wheelbase are longer on the Stance, but most other measurements are identical.
Elsewhere, there’s an updated RideControl Dash 2 control unit up front with a high-res, anti-fog colour screen. Cables are mostly internal with pre-installed wiring pipes for the rear brake, rear derailleur and dropper, meaning easy access with taking the motor or battery out when servicing or tinkering.
Specs and pricing
The Giant Stance E+ and Liv Embolden E+ each have three models in the range with various colourways, all featuring the same Aluxx SL-grade aluminium frames, and prices are matched for all three. Sizes are S, M, L and XL for the Stance, and XS, S, M and L for the Embolden. The XS Embolden gets 27.5″ rims and tyres, but it’s 29ers for all the others.
The top-of-the-range 0 models are priced at £4,999, the 1 is £3,999, and the 2 is £3,499. These things are the same across all three: operating system, controls, display, pedals, grips, saddle, lock and charger.
As mentioned previously, the SyncDrive Pro 3X motor only features on the top two models, while the Stance E+2 and Embolden E+2 get a SyncDrive Sport3 motor with slightly lower 85Nm of torque. 800Wh batteries feature on the 0 and 1, while the 2 gets 625Wh.
There’s 150mm of travel at the front on all three, but the top models get Fox 36 Rhythm Air Forks, while the next two get the Giant STL 36 Air – Fox supplies the shock on the 0 too. Componentry is a mostly Shimano Deore XT affair with an 11-speed CUES cassette and 36t chainring on the 0, dropping down to 10-speed cassettes and a mix of Deore, CUES and Tektro on the 1 and 2.
Head over to the Giant and Liv websites for more info.
You might also like:
