Merida Etmo 400

The Merida Etmo 400 is aimed at a rider who's outgrown a basic e-MTB hardtail and wants genuine full suspension without a genuine jump in price. At £3,650 for the 2026 launch build, it brings a Bosch motor together with X-Fusion suspension and mixed wheels, all built around Category 4 off-road use - the more technical end of what a British trail centre or bridleway throws at you. It's a sensible next step if you've been riding assisted trails on a hardtail and want the extra grip and control that comes with rear suspension.

Bosch power and a battery you can plan around

The motor doing the work is a Bosch Performance Line PX, and the UK build description for this bike advertises up to 90Nm of assistance - plenty for hauling a loaded e-MTB back up a climb between descents. It's paired with a removable 540Wh battery, which you can take indoors to charge rather than needing a socket next to wherever you store the bike, and a simple Bosch Purion 200 display to keep an eye on your remaining charge. That 540Wh figure is the battery's capacity, not a promise of how far you'll get; how much distance you see from it depends entirely on the terrain, your assist mode and how much climbing you're doing. If 540Wh isn't going to be enough for the rides you have in mind, Merida's own manual for this platform supports a Bosch PowerMore 250 range extender, plus a retrofit to a larger PowerTube 800 battery using a different cover. Neither of those comes fitted at £3,650, so treat them as a separate purchase and fitting job for later, not something you're getting out of the box.

Suspension built for technical trails

Suspension comes from X-Fusion: a Migo 34 fork and an O2 Pro shock. Merida markets this as its 140mm-travel ETMO model, though the detailed UK build specification lists 143mm at the rear - a small distinction worth knowing rather than worrying about. Either way, this is proper trail suspension rather than a token amount of bump absorption bolted onto a hardtail, and it's what lets Merida rate the Etmo 400 for Category 4 off-road use, meaning technical singletrack and rougher trail centre terrain rather than just fire roads and towpaths. The wheels are mixed: a 29-inch front paired with a 27.5-inch rear, a combination that lets the front wheel roll over obstacles more easily while keeping the rear end shorter and easier to manoeuvre through tight sections.

Brakes, drivetrain and what's upgradeable later

Stopping power comes from SRAM DB4 Stealth four-piston brakes with 200mm rotors front and rear, a sensible choice given how much extra weight and speed a motor and battery add to a mountain bike on a descent. The drivetrain is Shimano CUES, a 9-speed U4000 setup with an 11-46-tooth cassette, which is a simpler and more affordable system than a wireless SRAM Transmission but still gives a wide enough range for climbing and technical trail riding. Worth knowing if you like to plan ahead: the frame uses a SRAM UDH derailleur hanger, and Merida states the platform will accept a compatible SRAM direct-mount T-Type transmission. That's a genuine upgrade path rather than something fitted at this price, so don't expect wireless shifting out of the box.

Choosing a size

The Etmo 400 comes in four sizes, and Merida's published UK height bands overlap generously across them, so there's room to lean towards a smaller or larger frame depending on whether you prefer a bike that feels more manoeuvrable or one that feels more stable at speed. At the top end, the X-Long size covers riders from 185cm upward with no published upper limit, so taller riders aren't left guessing whether they've been catered for. A dropper seatpost is fitted across the range, with its travel matched to frame size rather than being one fixed length for every rider.

Ownership, weight limits and naming

Merida sets a 140kg maximum total system weight for the Etmo 400's frame, and that figure covers the bike itself plus rider and any kit or luggage you're carrying, not just your own bodyweight, so it's worth doing that sum before loading up for a big day out. On servicing, Merida calls for a first inspection after 100-300km, 5-10 riding hours or 4-6 weeks, whichever comes round first, and if you're riding rough trails regularly you should expect to bring that interval forward rather than stick rigidly to it. One thing worth keeping straight if you're browsing listings: the ETMO 400 EQ and ETMO 400 Pro are separate builds with their own equipment, and the ETMO 800 sits above this bike as a pricier model in the range, so none of their specifications carry over to this £3,650 Etmo 400.