Flat bar hybrid bike

Looking for my n+1th bike. I am more than a casual cyclist but not looking for anything crazy. Current daily driver is an all city space horse with drop bars and I also have a Velotric e-bike. I want something in between: non-electric, flat bars/relaxed riding posture, but where I still have quality components (disc breaks are non-negotiable) and decent climbing ability (I live in an extremely hilly city). Primary use case is longer but slower social rides - 25ish miles at 12ish mph.

REI city 1.1 seems like an unbeatable value at $520 for last year’s model. I’m tempted to splurge on a specialized x 3.0 sirrus at $899 at my local bike store. Is it worth the extra $379?