Review : LEGO Technic 42099 4x4 X-treme Off-Roader

Today we are quickly interested in the LEGO Technic set 42099 4x4 X-treme Off-Roader (958 pieces - 229.99 €), a product that had received a rather enthusiastic reception from the fans during the leaks of the first visuals with a vehicle with an aggressive look, the use of Bluetooth which finally replaces the infrared on this type of remotely controllable product and the promise of benefiting from a management interface developed via the dedicated Control + application.

Make no mistake, this is a construction toy from the LEGO Technic range that benefits from interactive functions and not an RC vehicle intended for intensive outdoor use. We will talk about what this implies a little further down.

As you probably already know, this all-terrain vehicle is equipped with three engines (two XL engines and one L engine) and a Smart Hub Bluetooth which communicates with a dedicated application to be installed on a compatible smartphone or tablet (Android 6.0 or iOS 10.0 minimum). One could argue about the lifespan of this toy which requires a recent smartphone and a dedicated app, but I think it'll be stowed away in the back of a toy box long before your smartphone becomes obsolete or your smartphone anyway. 'application is permanently withdrawn from the various Stores...

The 950 parts of the machine are quickly assembled, what takes the most time remains the installation of thirty stickers on the body. The structure of the vehicle is made up of two modules assembled in turn, with independent suspensions and front unit mounted on two axes which allow the body to remain horizontal in all circumstances. The three motors and their respective connection points on the hub are identified by stickers and the three cables coming from the different motors are connected by cable clips which are also easily identifiable.

If you inadvertently use the wrong connector, the application will not be able to synchronize with the vehicle. This technical detail also confirms that the Smart Hub delivered is a priori pre-programmed to synchronize with the application only in the configuration provided, with the three motors plugged into their respective connectors. Do-it-yourselfers will get four copies of the new wheel hub here (ref. 6275902).

Le Smart Hub remains easily accessible even when the vehicle is covered by the bodywork element to start it up and start synchronization with the dedicated application. To change the six AA batteries required for the toy to function properly, it will however be necessary to remove the bodywork element held by three fixing points (one at the front and two on the sides). The autonomy never exceeded the big half an hour during my tests with six standard rechargeable batteries before feeling a glaring lack of power. Too bad that in 2019 and on a high-end toy sold for 230 €, LEGO does not offer a rechargeable battery without having to disassemble the Smart Hub.

As I said above, even at 230 € a box, it is not an RC all-terrain vehicle that we buy here. It is a machine to be built by integrating three engines in order to then benefit from the interactivity offered by the dedicated application, nothing less and nothing more. It's as usual at LEGO, painfully slow, but since it is a machine dedicated to crossing obstacles, we do it with hope we can have fun otherwise.

Unfortunately, the engines struggle to provide enough torque and power to engage in a real incline or attempt to climb over a large set of rocks. As soon as an obstacle impassable by the vehicle's wheels appears, the Smart Hub stops the motors forcing the user to reposition the machine on a less cluttered surface.

I quickly gave up my experiences in difficult terrain to be content to ride on flat and a little sandy surfaces. I should have suspected it, the demonstration videos of the different product possibilities present in the application only show indoor examples where the vehicle is content to pass over a book or a few bricks ...

The ground clearance of the vehicle may seem really very important at first glance, but the problem will not come from the friction of the bodywork with the obstacles encountered: at the front of the vehicle, the lowest point is located 3 centimeters from the ground , the rear being placed at about 3.5 cm. It's too low to consider crossing substantial obstacles and we quickly understand that the machine has no "4x4 X-treme Off-Roader"as the name. It touches, it rubs and you may even leave a part or two in the passage, I think of the four 3M Surveys (4223767) placed at the front, two of which came off during my handling outdoors.

During your adventures, you also risk losing the two headlights placed at the front and the blocks of parts representing the rear optics. These elements are easily detached, they are respectively held by two tenons. These are a priori the only elements that come loose from time to time and that it will be safer to remove before going to have fun in the rubble.

The Control + app is pretty well designed. It offers a pleasant and didactic interface which allows immediate handling of the machine. It is possible to control the vehicle with two hands via the standard interface or to switch to piloting mode with one hand by pointing on the screen in the direction in which the machine must move. LEGO has also incorporated a tutorial disguised as a succession of small, simple challenges to accomplish. It's fun and all the potential of the set is actually based on this application designed to bring all the interactivity promised to the toy.

In short, you will understand, there is no need to do tons of it around this product and despite its look of an extreme backpacker, this vehicle remains a simple indoor toy much too slow to provide real sensations and too little responsive to live up to its aggressive appearance, which nevertheless left one imagining great crossing capacities. Everything therefore relies on the dedicated application which offers some fun challenges and a visually very successful piloting interface.

As usual, we will wait until the price of this box drops well below the 200 euros mark to be tempted and scare the cat by chasing it through the different rooms of the house. For real sensations outdoor, it will be necessary to turn to products really designed for this type of activity.

THE SET 42099 4X4 X-TREME OFF-ROADER ON THE LEGO SHOP >>

Note: The set shown here, supplied by LEGO, is included as usual. The parts damaged during the various "stunts" of the video will be replaced by new elements. To participate in the draw, all you have to do is post a comment (avoid "I participate, I try, etc ..." be a little more constructive) on this article before the August 11, 2019 at 23:59 p.m.. You have every right to disagree with me, this is not eliminatory.

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.

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