LEGO 6x6 Volvo Articulated Hauler (42114)

Name: LEGO 6x6 Volvo Articulated Hauler
Brand: LEGO
SKU: 42114

A big app-controlled dump truck with the first automatic gearbox in Technic.

Brick Rated Score

3.9/5

Set 42114 · 2020

Pieces2,193

Minifigsn/a

Year2020

Set number42114

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The verdict

The engineering is what got me here.

This LEGO set carries the first motorised automatic gearbox in Technic history, a three-speed box that shifts on its own based on speed, and driving it around from your phone is properly good fun. I will be honest though: the moment the app closes or the batteries die, it turns into a static shelf model with no manual functions to fiddle with. If you love app-controlled Technic and clever mechanisms, it is a cracker. Just make peace with the Control+ dependency before you commit.

Best for: Technic fans who want a motorised, app-driven build with real engineering to sink into

The full review

What it is

The 42114 6x6 Volvo Articulated Hauler is one of the more interesting big Technic sets from 2020, and I came away impressed. This LEGO set is a 2,193-piece recreation of Volvo's A60H, the biggest articulated hauler the company actually makes, the kind of monster that lugs 55 tonnes of rock around a quarry. What makes it special is not just the size, it is the brains. This is the set that introduced the first motorised automatic gearbox in Technic history, a three-speed box that shifts up and down on its own depending on how fast you are driving. Pair that with the Control+ app and a Bluetooth Smart Hub running three motors, and you get a chunky truck you can drive, steer, and tip from your phone.

The catch

Now for the catch, because it is a real one. The big issue here is the Control+ dependency. I kept landing on the same feeling other reviewers did: build it, love it, and then the moment the app closes or your batteries run flat, it is just a lump of plastic on the shelf. There is no manual clutch or hand-of-god knob to play the gearbox old-school, so no phone means no fun. You also bring your own six AA batteries, which always stings a little at this price point (it launched at 249.99 dollars). A few builders ran into gremlins too, mostly the dump bed refusing to raise or lower properly and the drive motor cutting out after a couple of seconds, so it is not flawless out of the box for everyone. And the back third of the build gets samey, since you are essentially assembling two near-identical rear axle sections in a row.

Who it's for

If you are into app-controlled Technic and you get a kick out of watching clever mechanisms do their thing, this is a genuinely rewarding build with loads going on under the bonnet, and it is friendly enough that a Technic newcomer can manage it. If you want something you will display forever and admire without reaching for your phone, or you are firmly in the manual-function camp that likes turning knobs by hand, this is not your truck. It is retired now, so prices have crept up on the secondary market, but for the right person the automatic gearbox alone makes it worth hunting down.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building the 42114 is a proper meaty session, and it front-loads the good stuff, which I loved. You start with the chassis and the beating heart of the thing, the Smart Hub plus the automatic gearbox assembly, and there is a genuinely surprising amount packed under the hood between the motors, the shifting mechanism, and the drivetrain. The engine and bonnet look simple from outside but hide a lot of gearing. Then comes the articulation joint that lets the front and rear halves pivot for steering, which is the signature move of a real hauler. The one place the pacing dips is the finale, where you build the two rear axle bogies back to back, and it does feel repetitive doing basically the same steps twice before the big tipper bed goes on top.

On the parts front this is a Technic set through and through, so no minifigs, but plenty for a parts hoarder to like. The headline components are the electronics: one XL motor for drive, one L motor for functions like tipping and steering, and an angular position (servo-style) motor, all run by the Control+ Smart Hub. You get six of the enormous balloon tyres that give it that go-anywhere quarry-truck stance, a big pile of panels in Volvo's signature yellow, and the linear actuators and gear rack that make the automatic shifting possible. With 2,193 pieces at its 249.99 dollar launch price, the per-part value is fair rather than amazing, but a big chunk of that money goes into the three motors and hub, which is where the real play value lives.

Fun facts

01The 42114 was the first LEGO Technic set ever to feature a motorised automatic gearbox, a three-speed unit that shifts gears on its own based on driving speed.
02It's modelled on the Volvo A60H, the largest articulated hauler Volvo builds in real life, rated to carry a 55 tonne payload from quarries and mine sites.
03The model runs on the Control+ app through a Bluetooth Smart Hub driving three separate motors, and stretches to roughly 60cm long for about a 1:20 scale.
04It sits at 4.2 out of 5 on Brickset's community rating, with reviewers split between loving the engineering and grumbling that it's inert once the app is off.