38% price increase on frameset, $525 increase to 725. Pretty expensive for a Surly frameset.
Now you can put that Shimano 1x12 MTB drivetrain on with thru axle capability.
Increased stack height of ~2cm on a 56cm. Standover height is unchanged on 56cm, so I think the video info (lower standover) is misleading or simply inaccurate. On the 56cm/700c the headtube length increased from 152 to 175mm (so there's your ~2cm stack increase). Reach seems to be unchanged.
Chainstays shortened from 460 to 450mm. The fender and rack mounts have been moved from center of rear dropout to the trailing edge (about 10mm) to maintain heel-to-bag clearance. Looks worse this way IMO. The load is now centered behind the rear axle. Who needs "a more lively feel" on a loaded touring bike?
Fork look is diminished IMO with twice as many leg bosses (total of 8, most folks will continue to use only 2 for lowrider rack).
The brake mounts look kinda ugly too but they may reduce weight slightly.
In typical Surly fashion, color is not great. Now you have to scrape off Surly, Disc Trucker, FFF, ambiguous tubing label AND A MANDOLIN to make it look better, which is less effective with the ugly porcupine fork legs. Spare spoke carrier is fairly useless if you have decent wheels (it's easy to carry spares in seattube). Too bad they didn't delete these on the 2020 revision. I predict a black alternative to Pea Lime Soup within a few months.
Those thru axles seem to have an attached lever arm - this may interfere with rack / fenders and have to be carefully positioned when tightening. Basically a bigger version of the QR skewer which got in the way, which is why I used slow release skewers on my 2012 DT.
