Greetings.
To date, what people in your situation have done is purchase the Performance CX (higher torque, limited to 20 mph) model for the hill-climbing and de-restrict (the speed cap) via “dongles,” purchased (mostly) from third parties in Germany. This is also referred to as tuning. You can use the search function for this site to find multiple threads on the topic.
However, it has come to light recently that In the next firmware update, Bosch has implemented detection of tuning/derestriction, presumably to void warranties.
I don’t think anyone here has the details on how this will play out. I will say that I am in your situation. I do a lot of touring and need the HS to outrun farm dogs, for example, and need the extra torque for climbing. The extra torque btw, is about 20% (63 Nm vs 75 Nm). I’d decided to replace my HS with a CX until I heard about this firmware development. For this and some other reasons, I am forgoing a 2019 purchase, but it sounds like you are not in a “wait and see” position.
Another factor is which drivetrain you choose. Which model is your current loaner? For example, some riders here have had difficulty with steep hills and the HS/NuVinci combination. Ideally, you should try to match a drivetrain option to a HS model to see if you conquer the steep sections of your ride. Then you won’t have to worry about the whole CX vs HS engine option. Assuming that your dealer is New Wheel, I imagine that it shouldn’t be a problem to test ride derailleur and Rohloff drivetrain options with a HS motor. Warning: the Rohloff option is spendy.
One battery — given the topography you describe, I’d expect about 40 miles assuming the steep sections are fairly short bursts — perhaps less if you do a lot of hill climbing. Given that you’re riding a Homage right now, you are probably in the best position to estimate what to expect depending on your daily commute.
