Review: LEGO Technic 42129 4x4 Mercedes-Benz Zetros Trial Truck

Today we are quickly interested in the content of the LEGO Technic set 42129 4x4 Mercedes-Benz Zetros Trial Truck, a box of 2110 pieces which will allow from next August 1st and for the modest sum of 299.99 € to assemble a machine that LEGO presents to us on the box as capable of raising dust on the most demanding outdoor grounds.

I add more, but you must suspect that this "trial" machine is not intended for playing outside and that it will appreciate moderately dust or sand. We could once again blame LEGO for doing a little too much on the packaging at the risk of disappointing those who will be fooled by an overly pretentious illustrative visual that promises a priori a racing truck. The visual on the back of the gearbox which shows how the suspensions work on rough terrain is also in my opinion a little pretentious, I did not see my Zetros finish with both axles in this position.

Also pay attention to the title of the product which becomes in French "The Mercedes-Benz Zetros 4x4 test truck"Without the word" trial ", a machine of this type is not designed to swallow the kilometers at high speed and the shimmering stickers to place on the body of this Mercedes-Benz vehicle will not make it go faster.

And it's an understatement to say that this children's toy doesn't move very fast. To make us forget that this truck is not moving forward, LEGO creates a diversion by highlighting its crossing capacities and by insisting on the major innovation of the product: the integration of a differential lock controlled via the Control + application.

For 300 € and 2110 pieces including 800 pins, there is necessarily something that in theory justifies the hallucinatory public price of this toy. So we have to look at the motorization elements to find something not to blame too much on LEGO to charge us this 48 cm long truck at a high price. Two L motors, an M motor, a Smart Hub, front and rear suspensions, new 81mm diameter tires, a dedicated interface in the Control + app, for LEGO the account is good. For those who are wondering, the Smart Hub delivered in the box is the usual model with the plastic closing clips and it is not the version with screw cap visible on the official photos.

The assembly is divided into two parts with the bags numbered from 1 to 3 which allow to build the frame and all the mechanical part and the bags 4 to 6 which provide what then to dress the Zetros so that it looks like the reference model. with in particular a nicely pad-printed shield with the manufacturer's logo integrated into the grille. It will be necessary to show extreme vigilance when it comes to connecting the various transmission shafts to each other via the axes provided, the instruction booklet is very explicit on the alignment of the notches of each of the axes.

Visually, this Zetros is very successful, it looks like the reference vehicle of which it has the appearance and the characteristic attributes. However, there is no need to be a genius to quickly realize that the ground clearance is derisory with 2 cm below the axis of the wheels, 5 cm in the center of the vehicle and engines placed in the bottom of the chassis which do not are not even fully protected. Difficult to imagine "trial" in these conditions, especially as the truck is dressed in many elements that do not fail to come off at the slightest impact, such as the mirrors, the top of the exhaust and even the yellow duck placed on the bumper.

We could also conclude that LEGO has abused the decoration of the truck with the slew of stickers to put in place, but we had to make this Zetros, often used for military purposes, a more fun vehicle. LEGO pushes the line with a host of colorful sponsors, but the result looks pretty good to me.

The cabin interior is well appointed with its seats and steering wheel flanked by a Tile round 1x1 on which we stick a micro-sticker bearing the logo of the vehicle manufacturer. The motor is dummy, it is satisfied with two stickers and a fan on a free shaft that only rotates if you push on it with your fingers. The rear plate is for its part partly covered by a technical hatch which allows in principle to have an eye on the internal mechanics but the panel is blocked by the rear arches and unfortunately does not open completely without first removing the two. black uprights ...

Let's be honest, this Zetros in LEGO version is not really a trial truck, it is not sufficiently ballasted, especially on the rear and despite the presence of the two engines which provide the propulsion, to take full advantage of the possibilities offered by the four suspensions and by the integrated differential lock. It is just a machine capable of climbing slopes without obstacles and on condition of playing on a surface offering enough grip for the vehicle to grip. There's still the option of loading the rear of the Zetros a bit with something to improve propulsion, but the power available will inevitably be affected by that extra weight.

The locking of the differentials works perfectly, that's the least of things, and you can feel the contribution of this feature when traction is put to the test and the need to provide equivalent power to each of the wheels of the truck is made felt. The turning radius is a joke, you need a living room of 80m2 to make a circle. For the rest, if you attempt the adventure on obstacles that are too angular and "steep", you will have to start over several times to find the right approach which will prevent your truck from tipping over or getting stuck resting on the chassis. with all four wheels in a vacuum.

The other detail that prevents this truck from being a real trial vehicle capable of facing the most perilous situations: the doors and the engine cover are not lockable. When going downhill and if the slope is steep, the engine hood opens accidentally and the doors do the same when the Zetros reaches a certain lateral angle. How is it possible that a designer specializing in this range of products has not thought of this detail? I have no explanation.

I tried to "play" with this product using what in principle is currently best in terms of rechargeable batteries, 1600 mAh NiZn batteries, and the promise is kept: there is indeed enough torque so that the Zetros can climb slopes with quite impressive angles. For the rest, this toy sold for 300 € does not offer much else in terms of playability, the disappointment being more often the appointment as far as I'm concerned than the satisfaction of demonstrating a particular know-how in piloting.

The two driving modes offered via the Control + application, the few challenges of no great interest and the augmented reality feature that allows you to view the various mechanical elements in operation offer additional possibilities to have fun around this product but do not really save furniture when it comes to pure playability. And I remind you for all intents and purposes that this is indeed a toy for children 12 and over, not a model for an adult fan.

Fans of the Technic universe will undoubtedly enjoy the assembly of the differential lock system and the activation / deactivation of the function via the Control + app, but those who hoped for an all-terrain vehicle a little more versatile as the real Zetros is, it will be imperative to go their way otherwise you will quickly realize that the possibilities offered by this product are in reality limited to climbing a board placed at 45 ° or to do a little off-roading on a few heaps of bricks with limited roughness.

The most motivated will try to make the most of the possibilities of this niche product but, for 300 €, being able to move from point A to point B without spending two hours there would have been really welcome. Those who buy these boxes only to display the vehicle concerned on a shelf will also find their account there, this Zetros in LEGO version being sufficiently faithful to the reference vehicle.

Note: The set presented here, provided by LEGO, is as usual involved. Deadline fixed at 1er August 2021 next at 23pm. For newcomers, know that you just need to post a comment to participate in the draw.

Update : The winner was drawn and was notified by email, his nickname is indicated below. Without a response from him to my request for contact details within 5 days, a new winner will be drawn.