Specialized have been ploughing their own furrow in the e-MTB market with the Turbo Levo, a stripped back e-bike experience with a super-quiet Brose motor and an app that helps you get the most out of your bike. Those trends are continuing for 2018, but Specialized have introduced a carbon-framed model at the top end, and updated the batteries for longer range.

We tested the Turbo Levo Hardtail Comp 6Fattie last year, and we were impressed with the neat integration, silent and powerful motor and less in-your-face electronics. On the flip side, we noted that the motor didn't quite have the power of the class-leading Bosch units, and the range from the 460Wh battery wasn't class-leading. Specialized have been busy addressing one of those two concerns.

The new 1.3 incarnation of the Trail-tuned Turbo motor is, Specialized claim, 15% more powerful than its predecessor. It's still the same Brose 250W powerplant but there's obviously been some tweaking going on. Battery specs appear to be the same: That motor is paired on the more expensive bikes with a 504Wh battery, with a 460Wh unit at the cheaper end of the range. It's integrated in the same way into the down tube: it mounts from underneath and is held in place by a thru-axle at the top.

One other thing that Specialized look to have improved is the control options. On the 2017 bikes the mode switches were on the battery, by the power switch, which meant that changing mode in any kind of technical terrain was a no-go. Specialized offered a remote switch as a ost option (it was a rebadged Garmin ANT+ remote) but this year the bikes look to have a small, bar-mounted remote to access the different modes and the walk-assist function.

Specialized Turbo Levo bikes have Bluetooth connectivity built in and the Mission Control app adds a layer of fiddling about that you don't normally get. You can adjust the power curve of the bike's different modes depending on your preference, and you can also use the app to manage your battery. Just tell the app how long you want to ride for, or how far, and it'll adjust the motor output accordingly so you don't run out of juice miles from home. It works pretty well too.

Specialized have also moved into carbon for 2018. There are three carbon models with this one, the £4,999 Turbo Levo FSR Cabon Comp 6Fattie/29 (they have such memorable names), the cheapest of the three. Pictured at the top of the page is the S-Works FSR build which is a savings-account-emptying £8,999, and there's a £6,250 Expert build in the middle.

The S-Works bike uses the same frame design but a higher grade of carbon, while the two other bikes are built on exactly the same chassis and differ only in the build. All of the bikes in the range use the wider Boost wheel standard and this year it's 2.8" rubber across the board for the full-suspension bikes with the hardtail bikes getting slightly wider 3" rubber.

Here's a run-down of the bikes in the range, with UK pricing. The range includes women-specific builds in both FSR and hardtail frames (but not carbon).