Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo 4 review: one of the best eMTBs I've tested – but it's outrageously expensive

Specialized’s Turbo Levo enters its fourth generation with a new motor and a completely overhauled frame.

With tyres in the dirt, this ludicrously expensive S-Works model is a force to be reckoned with.

The balanced suspension feel, coupled with the easy-to-tweak geometry, delivers a ride that’s simply gobsmacking.

The S-Works Levo delivers confidence in spades on the descents, then gets you back up to the top of the hill as quickly as you want.

Power delivery is smooth and feels consistent across a wide range of cadences, which really makes a difference when winching up something horribly technical.

However, the top-spec motor is only available on S-Works level bikes – which is a real shame – and there's no getting around this bike's fearsome price tag.

I've covered the specs and build of the bike below, but jump straight to my ride impressions if you want to find out how the bike performed on the trails.

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Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo 4 motor and battery updates

Specialized has upped both the torque and peak power available on this latest machine, thanks to its new 3.1 motor.

The S-Works 3.1 motor produces 111Nm of torque and 720w of peak power – that’s 27 per cent more peak power than the previous motor used on the Levo 3.

The new frame also gets a new 840Wh battery as standard, alongside a new integrated display and assistance modes to play with.

On top of that, the revised frame adopts the GENIE shock technology from the Stumpjumper 15, as well as getting its very own SWAT compartment to store essentials.

If you can’t quite stretch those purse strings to the S-Works model, the standard 3.1 motor, as used on cheaper models, is still impressive – albeit not in quite the same headline-grabbing way.

With 101Nm of torque and 666w, it’ll outperform most competition – on paper, at least.

More important than just the numbers, though, is how all of this is applied when you start turning the cranks.

Specialized says the new motor delivers power and torque more consistently across a wider range of cadences, and claims it can maintain that power as you really start spinning your legs, rather than it slowly dropping away.

Combine this with updated firmware and torque sensors, and if all the claims are true, this should boost the Levo’s precision, especially when attempting slow-speed, crux moves on the climbs.

Impressively, Specialized has delivered this additional bang for your buck in a drive unit said to be 20 per cent smaller than its predecessor.

Inside, a revised gear ratio and increased voltage help to make the new 3.1 motor far more efficient too – so much that Specialized claims it’s the “best range-to-weight ratio in the game”.

Two larger steel gears with a new surface treatment boost durability, increase efficiency and decrease noise.

Speaking of noise, the driveside housing is decoupled from the guts of the motor to reduce vibrations transmitted from the motor area, which should help quieten things down further.

As standard, all Levo 4’s come with an 840Wh battery, though Specialized will offer the option to buy a 600Wh battery and the 280Wh range extender.

What’s more, all the batteries are more compact, with the idea being that you can now carry them in a backpack if you’re planning an epic ride.

Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo 4 modes, app and charger details

The Turbo Levo 4 gets the all-new, top-tube-integrated ‘MasterMind’ display, which is 50 per cent larger than on the Levo 3 frame.

A hardwired bar-mounted controller enables you to skip through the various display screens as well as Eco, Trail and Turbo motor modes.

There’s also an Auto mode, which wasn’t available prior to the launch but is now.

Specialized continues to offer Micro Tune, which enables you to tweak assistance levels by 10 per cent at a time.

More exciting, though, is the all-new setting dubbed, Dynamic Micro Tune.

Just like Micro Tune, you can tweak assistance levels in 10 per cent increments but instead of that power being set or limited depending on the percentage, the 3.1 motor will deliver more power as and when you need it.

Think of Dynamic Micro Tune as a more advanced, tuneable eMTB or Auto mode that you’d find from other brands, but better.

If you’re keen on customising modes, syncing to apps via Bluetooth like Strava or Garmin or delving into ride data further, you can do so using the Specialized app. The app also allows you to lock your motor remotely.

While the Comp, Expert and Pro Levo 4’s will come with the standard 4-amp charger, the S-Works comes with a new Super Charger. This offers different charging modes including standard, fast, eco and 80%, which enables you to charge up to 80 per cent of battery capacity in an hour.

Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo 4 frame and suspension details

The new Turbo Levo 4 offers up to 150mm of rear-wheel travel, delivered via a four-bar Horst Link design. The bike is designed around a mixed wheel set-up.

This is controlled using a new shock. Like the Stumpjumper 15, the new Levo 4 range uses Specialized's GENIE technology – in this case, inside a Fox Float X Factory shock.

The GENIE system uses two air springs to create a flatter spring curve for a more coil-like feel as you move through the stroke.

For the first 70 per cent of the travel, both air chambers are open. Close in on that last 30 per cent, though, and the GENIE band slides over and closes a port to the outer chamber, reducing the volume dramatically and creating a nice, progressive ramp up right where you need it most.

Both air chambers can be tuned easily with the volume spacers supplied.

Like the Stumpjumper 15, the side-arm strut spanning the top and seat tube on the driveside of the bike is gone.

The battery is also now sideloading.

This, according to Specialized, makes more sense structurally and delivers a stronger bike compared to the previous-gen Turbo Levo – so much so in fact that while it comes with a 160mm travel fork as standard, it’ll handle a 180mm travel fork without issue.

In the space above the 840Wh battery, you’ll find the SWAT compartment and bag. This’ll hold a few essentials. A magnet on the bag should ensure it stays put while you ride. There wasn’t one included with this test bike, though.

You can also access the cables and hoses once the battery is removed, as these are pushed into cable guides behind the battery.

If you were worried that there was no provision for mechanical drivetrains, fear not, because Specialized has wired the SRAM Transmission rear derailleur to run off the main battery.

That means that should you wish to ditch the electronic derailleur, you can.

Finally, Specialized says it’s improved seat post insertion depths so more riders can run longer travel dropper posts.

Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo 4 geometry details

Specialized offers the Turbo Levo 4 in five sizes (S2 to S6), with reaches ranging from 435mm to 535mm.

The S3 I’m testing here measures in at 455mm.

Like other modern Specialized bikes, the Turbo Levo 4 has various ways you can tweak the geometry of the bike, including:

• Altering the chainstay length by 9mm via flip chips in the Horst pivot
• Adjusting the bottom bracket height by 6mm using the chip at the base of the shock
• Altering the head angle with angled headset cups by +/- one degree.

In the middle headset setting, low bottom bracket position and long chainstay, I measured my S3 bike's geometry as follows:

• Head angle: 63.7-degrees
• Rear centre: 445mm
• Bottom bracket height: 333mm

The latter is interesting because it is significantly lower than that quoted by Specialized.

At my preferred saddle height (700mm), I measured the effective seat tube angle to be steeper than quoted (Specialized measures the S3 with the saddle set higher). That left it at 78.5-degrees.

Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo 4 specification

If you’re after a carbon Turbo Levo 4, the Comp model kicks off at £6,799 / $7,999.

Should you wish to have the most powerful motor and the flashiest kit, this S-Works model costs a lofty £12,499 / $13,499.

That gets you a Fox 38 Factory fork to match the Float X GENIE rear shock, along with the wireless Fox Transfer Neo Factory dropper post.

Roval Traverse HD carbon wheels are shod in the new Butcher T9 GRID Gravity tyres, front and rear.

These should be suitably tough for the job at hand, and are competitively priced, should you need to replace them – as mentioned in our Specialized tyre round-up for 2025.

SRAM’s Maven Ultimate brakes bring the bike to a stop, with a whopping 220mm front disc brake rotor to really up the power.

SRAM’s XX Eagle AXS Transmission gearing keeps the Levo 4 in forward motion.

Overall, the total weight for my S3 Turbo Levo 4 without pedals is 23.62kg.

Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo 4 ride impressions

I put the Turbo Levo 4 through its paces for a couple of days on the island of Madeira, where I was faced with long flowing trails through forests, steep, technical climbs, rough, rocky outcrops and high-speed jumps and bumps.

Since then, I’ve had the bike at home, putting the miles in on local trails.

Despite some struggles with a faulty charger, things have been plain sailing since, and I’ve managed to lap a wide variety of tracks, taking in steep technical singletrack, faster flow trails and some hefty rock rolls to cap things off.

Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo 4 set-up

Set-up was simple enough.

Once the sag at the front and rear was dialled in, I haven’t really fiddled with the bike much since.

Having experimented extensively with the GENIE shock, I was happy to run the stock setup with one band in the outer air chamber and the 0.2in spacer in the inner eyelet air chamber.

With the sag set at 30 per cent for my 68kg weight (169psi in the air spring), this gave me a sufficiently supple beginning stroke, enough support when I needed it, and a decent end stroke ramp up to handle the bigger impacts.

While riding, I added a little low-speed compression damping to the Float X shock, finishing with four clicks from fully open. This didn't dull sensitivity but added a little support when loading the bike through turns.

Up front, I wound all the dials to fully open and set my sag by feel rather than the recommended air pressure. At 82.5psi, the fork provided a light, sensitive touch with ample progression deeper into the travel.

During testing, I wound on a single click of low-speed compression damping to help keep the front end better propped up on steeper trails.

I fiddled with the geometry during testing – but more on that later.

Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo 4 climbing performance

The S-Works 3.1 motor is one of the best out there.

It’s at potentially level-pegging with the gen 5 Bosch Performance Line CX for the most part – though 3.1 motor's extra torque makes a difference on particularly steep, technical climbs.

The Levo 4’s motor doesn’t feel quite as slick as the DJI Avinox drive unit, though – it's hesitant to kick in if you stop pedalling entirely.

In Turbo mode, hitting the limiter on a mellow climb is an almost effortless affair, though maintaining that same pace does take a little more effort than the DJI Avinox, which boasts higher power figures.

Get moving up something steeper and the Turbo Levo 4 will deliver power smoothly at almost any cadence.

Whether you prefer to spin a lower gear, or grind a higher one, the assistance doesn’t dwindle. There’s always plenty of torque low down to ensure you can turn the pedals easily, even if you’ve hit a surprise rise in the trail and are in the wrong gear.

There’s a whine as you turn the pedals, but I could largely ignore this.

On anything particularly technical or precarious, despite the steep seat angle, I found dropping my saddle to be preferable.

This was partly to get my weight lower and keep the front wheel from rearing up on trickier moves or steep uphill hairpins.

But I also did this because I’ve got short legs and prefer having a little more bum clearance for when I need to shift the bike around.

However, with the saddle out of the way, I claimed everything I pointed the Levo 4 at.

Steep sections of old downhill tracks were disposed of with some hefty bursts from myself and the motor, while slower-paced uphill turns were handled with impressive control.

That lofty torque figure translates into a ride feel that enables you to alter your pace calmly and with control – rather than delicately and tentatively.

Ease off as you approach a turn or obstacle, keep the cranks spinning slowly, and you’ll find yourself edging your way forward rather than jolting uncontrollably.

The overrun as standard feels very predictable and easy to get to grips with, making those awkward moves up-and-over rocks far more palatable.

When winding my way up super steep switchbacks with no room for error, I found myself spinning the cranks and soft pedalling a little more than I might have on the DJI motor, just to ensure the motor remained engaged and that there were no pauses in power.

I did this less as I became more in sync with motor feel and predictability.

The Turbo Levo 4’s geometry sits you upright and over the bottom bracket in a comfortable and straight-backed position.

Specialized left 30mm of steerer spacers to play with, and I ended up with 25mm of those beneath my stem, raising it up quite a bit. This impacts ride position further and shortens reach slightly, too.

Experimenting with motor modes

Switching between the three regular motor modes is easy. And thanks to the decent-sized integrated screen, you can see exactly which one you’re using.

While those three main modes are good, the new Dynamic Micro Tune setting got me.

I ended up spending the bulk of my time in this. When set to 10/100 (10 per cent assistance out of a possible 100) the power delivery feels incredibly natural – and you get a decent workout.

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When you encounter something that requires a little more grunt, the additional assistance (which can increase up to 100 per cent) is phased in seamlessly, giving you the power to take on anything you would in Turbo mode.

I took on a three-hour ride, comprising technical singletrack descents with a mix of gravel, singletrack, and tarmac climbs in this setting.

I managed 1,600m of climbing over 45km, finishing with an impressive 20 per cent battery when I returned.

Charging back to 100 per cent took a little over two hours in the standard mode on the charger.

Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo 4 descending performance

The Turbo Levo 4 feels incredible blasting downhill – but only once I figured out which geometry settings I preferred.

After our first day in Madeira, I felt a little perched on the bike and struggled to get it confidently planted through the tight, loose turns snaking endlessly down the trails we rode.

After lowering the bottom bracket and increasing the chainstay length, I felt far more at home and better centred between the wheels.

While there’s no doubt the shorter chainstay setting is a lot of fun and makes lifting the front wheel easier – something that doesn’t come easy on some eMTBs – the longer, lower configuration felt more predictable and confident.

Even in this setting, I had no issues lifting the front end up over obstacles.

While some of that is, of course, down to the geometry, there’s no doubt the impressively tuned suspension helps add a level of dynamism that heavy eMTBs are simply crying out for.

The rear end of the Levo 4 does a good job of soaking up chatter and tracking the trail, and despite the 150mm of travel, it’ll absorb bigger hits than you might expect without any punishing jarring or harshness, thanks in part to the GENIE tech used in the rear shock.

Should you push this bike, there’s a smooth, progressive ramp through the last part of the travel, which really gives the impression you’re riding a bike with more travel than this.

But if you feel like you’re using the available travel a little too easily, adding spacers to the outer sleeve of the shock will increase support through the middle part of the travel. A bigger volume spacer in the secondary eyelet air chamber will increase end stroke ramp-up.

With 30 per cent sag at the rear, the rear end of the bike initially feels quite soft, but once riding, I never felt like the bike was under-sprung or wallow-y.

It still has a liveliness to it and feels easy enough to sling about, manoeuvre onto tricky lines, or slowly pick up and place each wheel as you navigate an awkward hairpin turn.

In short, the suspension tune hides the weight very well.

In terms of overall balance, the Turbo Levo 4 offers a centred ride position which coupled with the spot-on hand-to-feet relationship, creates a formidable stance on the bike. This breeds confidence when it comes to dropping into something steep or unknown.

As for motor performance, exceed the maximum level of assistance and the Levo 4 feels natural and easy enough to keep hammering on the pedals.

Unlike some bikes, where you might want to back off the power, it doesn’t feel like you hit that wall or quicksand once that speed limit is surpassed.

Instead, I could just keep cranking on faster trails, despite the extra eMTB weight and lack of assistance.

It's quiet, too, with no rattle from the motor as you batter through rough sections of trail.

While pick-up out of turns isn’t instantaneous, it’s still seamless enough and fast enough to react to rapid inputs – to the point where I’d find myself adding little half cranks to inject a little extra speed on slow and tight trail sections.

Overall, I’m a fan of the new look and feel of the Turbo Levo 4.

The new motor, revised geometry and improved suspension feel make this feel like more of a big-hitting bike than previous generations, and as a result, there’s a swagger to this machine that helps it stand out when you get trucking down the trails.

My only real niggle is that it’s just this S-Works model that gets the big power motor, which it a shame. It’d be great to open this up to other models later.

Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo 4 bottom line

Specialized has done a great job on improving an already impressive bike.

The Levo’s new motor offers more grunt than ever, but power delivery is controlled, enabling you to confidently tackle steep and technical climbs.

When it comes to the downs, the balance and calmness makes the Levo 4 feel like a far more hard-hitting machine than it might appear on paper – this thing isn’t afraid to get rowdy.

But this S-Works model is seriously expensive, which is a shame, considering this is the only model where you can access the highest torque and power motor in the range.