The Santa Cruz Vala is here.
The Vala is Santa Cruz’s new trail eMTB. It’s got 150mm of travel, MX wheels, and rolls on the new Bosch Performance Line CX drive system. There’s one huge update here that astute viewers will notice just from looking at the pictures.
The Santa Cruz Vala introduces a change from the familiar VPP suspension to a four-bar linkage, designed to accommodate the Bosch motor while maintaining the kinematics Santa Cruz is famous for. The four-bar system allows for similar suspension performance and geometry optimization while making room for the motor.
Why Four-Bar?
Santa Cruz switched to a four-bar system to make room for the Bosch motor and keep the bike’s suspension kinematics similar to other Santa Cruz bikes. The engineers couldn’t get the VPP pivot locations where they needed to be with the motor the way. So they went back to the drawing board and got their pivot locations where they needed to be. This required switching to a 4-bar design. This change is all about making the Vala’s suspension behave exactly how they wanted it to while still accommodating an eMTB drivesystem.
The New Bosch Performance Line CX System
Powering the Vala is Bosch’s Performance Line CX motor, which provides up to 85Nm of torque and can be paired with a 600Wh integrated battery, offering plenty of range for long rides. New features include improved riding noise, reduced pedal resistance for a smoother experience, and a lighter overall weight. The system also includes hill start assist, which prevents backward rolling on inclines, eShift for easy shifting control, and specialized modes like eMTB and Tour+ for performance or energy-saving modes, depending on your needs.
Suspension and Geometry: The Santa Cruz Vala’s Versatility
The Vala offers 150mm of rear travel and a 160mm fork, making it ideal for a wide variety of trail riding — although on the burlier side of the spectrum. The mixed MX wheels should keep the handling relatively quick, something the full-power eMTBs can greatly benefit from. The frame is equipped with a geometry adjustment chip as well as a progression rate flip chip (26-29%) that is completely independent of the geometry. As we saw with the new Bronson, the chainstays are size-specific and slightly longer than we’ve typically seen on an MX bike. That should help with the rider position quite a bit. Overall, this frame is highly adjustable to suit a wide range of riders, use cases, and terrain — it should be a jack-of-all-trades eMTB.
TLDR Summary
Making the Switch to Four-Bar Linkage:
Santa Cruz transitioned from their traditional VPP suspension to a four-bar linkage system to accommodate the Bosch motor while maintaining familiar suspension kinematics.
New Bosch Performance Line CX Motor:
The Vala is powered by Bosch’s new MY25 Performance Line CX motor, offering up to 85Nm of torque and a 600Wh battery, all while saving weight over the previous version.
Highly Adjustable design:
The Vala features 150mm of rear travel, a 160mm front fork, and geometry and progression rate adjustment chips, providing adaptability for a wide range of riders, terrains, and use cases.
Santa Cruz Vala Final Thoughts
The Santa Cruz Vala is a capable, versatile, and well-rounded e-bike that offers most of the modern eMTB features we’ve been wanting for the last year or so — versatility, improved handling, refined suspension, and a great drive system. Expect a full review of its on-trail performance soon!
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