Discounter Lidl continues its tradition and presents a new model in its popular Crivit Urban E-Bike series this year: the Crivit Urban E-Bike X.3 with a diamond frame and high top tube and the Crivit Urban E-Bike Y.3 with a step-through comfort frame. Since we had already tested the predecessor X.2 in detail in this article last year, we are of course all the more interested in the new features of the 2025 model year.
New battery, new drive options
Even at first glance, it is clear that there has been a fundamental change to the bikes: the biggest innovation is certainly the battery, which is now located at the rear of the seat tube. It can be conveniently removed for charging and is protected against theft by its lock.
This design is similar to that of the Cowboy bike and differs fundamentally from its predecessor. There, the battery and seat post formed a single unit, which is why the battery and saddle had to be removed in order to charge the battery externally. Although the process worked quite satisfactorily, the correct saddle height always had to be checked again after inserting the battery.
In this respect, the new design should be somewhat easier to use in everyday life. However, the battery capacity remains unchanged and is still 360 Wh.
The second new feature is the option of derailleur gears. Previously, the Lidl Crivit Urban e-bikes were only ever available with a single-speed drive.
Thanks to the electric assistance, such a single-speed drive actually works very well on rather flat terrain, but sometimes you wish you had a few more gears: on the one hand on steep climbs, which are easier to conquer with a lower gear. On the other hand, on flat terrain when the going is fast. A higher gear allows you to reach higher speeds at a more comfortable cadence.
Lidl offers these two drive versions of the Crivit Urban e-bike:
- The Gates version still comes as a SInglespeed without gear shifting and is driven by a belt drive. The ST is the simplest belt from the brand manufacturer Gates. The advantages of such a belt drive are cleanliness (no oil or grease required), low maintenance and low noise levels.
- The Shimano Cues version comes with derailleur gears from Shimano’s U4000 series of the same name. It offers 9 gears, which provides the advantages mentioned above. Of course, you have to do without the belt drive.
Proven e-drive, improved equipment
However, there are no changes to the electric drive: as before, this comes from Mivice and consists of the M080 hub motor in the rear wheel, which offers 40 Nm of torque. A special feature is the torque sensor, which enables a natural riding experience by adapting the motor support to the rider’s pedal force. The drive is controlled quite puristically via two buttons on the handlebars and a control element on the top tube. The riding mode and the remaining range are displayed there.
Extensive equipment with mudguards, pannier rack and lighting system is also still on board, and the latter has even been improved: the 3rd generation now also has a high beam function for the headlight, which means that it shines with 180 lux. The normal low beam is 120 lux. The position of the headlight is also new, as it is now firmly integrated into the stem.
However, the new bikes also have a small disadvantage: with a weight of around 23 kg, the new bikes now weigh around 2 kg more than their predecessors.
Still at an attractive price
As you would expect from Lidl, the new e-bikes also have a strong price-performance ratio: the Crivit Urban e-bike with Gates belt drive regularly costs €1,699, while the version with Shimano Cues derailleur gears costs €1,799. However, these prices have been reduced by 400 euros for the sales launch, meaning that the bikes are available from just 1,299 euros here in the online store and can be ordered to your home!
