Review: 60426 Jungle Explorer Off-Road Truck
Posted by CapnRex101,
The various exploration subthemes in LEGO City consistently introduce new animals and Jungle Exploration provides an outstanding selection. The tiger available in 60426 Jungle Explorer Off-Road Truck looks fantastic, re-using a piece from 2017, with a new head and better decoration.
Although the tiger is definitely a highlight, this animal's habitat and the accompanying truck seem remarkably detailed for their size. The minifigures are appealing too, so there is lots to enjoy for the price of £24.99, $34.99 or €29.99.
Summary
60426 Jungle Explorer Truck, 314 pieces.
£24.99 / $34.99 / €29.99 | 8.0p/11.1c/9.6c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
This is a fantastic set, providing great value for money and an eye-catching tiger
- Excellent new tiger
- Attractive and functional truck
- Generous interior
- Good value
- Landscape is only detailed on one side
Minifigures
Three explorers are included, the first of whom is clearly inspired by the most famous LEGO explorer of them all, Johnny Thunder! The iconic moustache is instantly recognisable and his hairstyle remains the same too, albeit with some stubble this time. It would have been good to see the character's original hat return, but this dark brown fedora suffices.
The red neckerchief, ropes and shirt with two chest pockets are taken directly from Johnny's classic desert attire, although his revolver is missing, as expected in LEGO City. I think these features have been updated brilliantly, so the minifigure looks completely modern and includes as much detail as any other, but remains easily identifiable with the design from 1998.
The other characters return from last year's Arctic and ocean exploration range, albeit sporting new clothing for the jungle. This is an interesting choice and I welcome the continuity between those sets and these, particularly with the male minifigure, whose medical equipment remains unchanged from his previous exploration garb.
By contrast, the female explorer's hairstyle has been updated and this part is fairly uncommon, appearing in seven sets. Furthermore, her torso is new and features a detailed necklace under the sand blue shirt, while both explorers include printed legs, returning from the Wildlife Rescue subtheme and various other sets.
Each minifigure comes with accessories, including a printed map, showing where the tiger can be found. Similar maps appear in four of the Jungle Exploration sets and they can link together, which is a fun idea. Otherwise, a water bottle, a camera and a drone are supplied, with a couple more items inside the truck.
The Completed Model
Like most exploration-based sets, this one includes a vehicle and a section of the landscape. The cave entrance and tree look nice together and I like the uneven rocky texture around the base. Additionally, clips are available on each side, so you can attach this landscape model to similar structures from other sets.
LEGO developed a new piece for big cats in the 2017 Jungle Exploration range and the body returns here, although the tiger's head is new. The moulded hair beneath the ears looks great and I love the revised decoration, improving on the tiger from 60162 Jungle Air Drop Helicopter in every way. Furthermore, the new reddish orange shade is an excellent colour choice.
Only the head and hind legs are able to move, but these points of articulation are enough for numerous poses, such as climbing or following a scent. Moreover, the tail and legs are nicely shaped for standard walking stances and two studs are available on the animal's back, so you could create some kind of tiger cavalry, if you like!
Yellow flowers and foliage are scattered around the base, providing splashes of bright colour against the predominant grey and green. The mixture of different shades seems fairly natural and I like the green accents on the tree, representing moss. A couple of bones are included as well, signalling the entrance to the tiger's den.
A proper cave would have been welcome, of course, but was not a practical expectation for a model of this size. However, I am disappointed by the lack of detail on the back. I understand focusing detail on one side of the landscape, but the reverse is almost completely flat and the designer could surely have added a little more texture.
The titular off-road truck undoubtedly appears ready for rough terrain, featuring massive tyres and ample ground clearance. In addition, the truck body is relatively squat and therefore looks very powerful, even though the vehicle only measures 14cm in length. Off-road trucks are quite common in LEGO City, but I cannot recall any with a shape or proportions like this model.
I think this is partly because of the bullbar on the front, which is angled backwards to disguise the vehicle's flat nose. The silver radiator underneath looks splendid and a snorkel is attached beside the cab, with a single door mirror on the other side. Admittedly, minifigures may struggle to reach the cab without any steps, but good climbing skills are useful in the jungle anyway!
Like the minifigures mentioned earlier, the white, dark blue and orange colour scheme of the exploration vehicles produced last year returns. Similarly, the logo remains the same, which I rather like, as it makes the whole City universe feel cohesive. The diagonal bands of colour on the sides of the truck are superb too, interrupted by an olive green stripe, befitting the jungle.
There is room for one minifigure inside the cab, as expected, but the extra space for another explorer behind them was a nice surprise. Sitting inside this windowless area would probably feel quite unpleasant, especially when crossing rough terrain, but I am pleased with the use of space. Also, the printed compass placed in front of the driver is a lovely detail.
However, my favourite feature is the stickered screen in the back, featuring a live recording of the tiger and with a clip of the crocodiles from 60425 Jungle Explorer Water Plane ready to be played too. Furthermore, a medical box is located behind the passenger seat, marked with the Star of Life on a printed 1x2 tile.
More accessories are hidden in pearl dark grey containers between the wheels. These really look like metal strongboxes, housing a banana on one side and binoculars on the other. Any remaining items could be placed in the truck bed, presumably riding with the third minifigure, since there is only enough room for two inside.
The tailgate opens on click hinges, but much like the cab, climbing onto the truck bed could be tricky. The articulated camera is perfectly integrated though, mounted on a ball joint behind the cab, which provides an impressive range of motion. You can also rotate the camera on another ball joint, pointing it and the attached microphone in almost any direction.
Overall
New animals are invariably exciting and 60426 Jungle Explorer Off-Road Truck stands out for the tiger alone. The colour choice and decoration improve dramatically on the tiger released a few years ago and I am glad this highly desirable animal is available in a reasonably affordable set, costing £24.99, $34.99 or €29.99.
The tiger and Johnny Thunder-influenced minifigure will doubtless be enough to attract some adult fans, but the whole set is well-designed. The truck includes all the required features and provides surprising space inside, while the provided landscape is quite substantial. With that in mind, I can certainly recommend this set, especially for play, which is obviously paramount.
155 likes
48 comments on this article
I'm not sold on the colour scheme, but the angled tiles and the use of the square lid chests are really nice. Also great to be pleasantly surprised by an RRP! (though perhaps we are too used to the Disney tax)
Four words
Johnny Thunder Theatrical Movie
@Your_Future_President said:
"Four words
Johnny Thunder Theatrical Movie "
Would it be as good as The Adventures of Clutch Powers though?
@Huw @CapnRex101 Why are there no articles about the reveals of 41838 or 41839 even though the sets' pages have been updated?
Coincidentally, built this last night.
My only issue is with the camera arm. The restrictions of the ball joints coupled with the flat tile arms make the range of movement a little awkward.
There are different prices in € in the article. I hope 29.99€ as shown in the summary is correct.
Nice set, very good review!
This set is grrrrr-eat!
In the cover image, it looks like they have pulled over to ask the tiger for directions. Probably not a great plan.
Instead of some steps for the cab the set designer provided the tiger. It's amazing how good at climbing one can be with a tiger nearby.
@Schmopiesdad said:
"In the cover image, it looks like they have pulled over to ask the tiger for directions. Probably not a great plan."
Or to ask where the nearest ESSO is (only for people of a certain age)
Really like this set. And since City sets often see discounts between 30 and 50% on Amazon it's a great way to get this excellent tiger for cheap.
Great set! Only better could have been a tiger cub!
A little odd that we have had two tigers (and a saber tooth tiger) and not one has been orange.
Originally I was going to get 60424 for Johnny, but ended up picking this up, because I think the tiger is cooler.
There is one thing about this new line of City Jungle sets that I'm mixed on, and that's the lack of any cool ruins to explore, like there were in 2017 sets. It's especially disappointing considering they brought back Johnny Thunder, who is known for his adventures through ancient civilizations.
On the other hand tho, I can understand that from the educational perspective, observing and preserving animals is a lot more noble of a motivation that looking for treasure. In the 2017 sets the animals were more of an obstacle, while in this year sets they are the main focus.
@lordofdragonss said:
"Great set! Only better could have been a tiger cub!"
Hopefully next time!
I never noticed these Jungle sets were a continuation of the 2023 Arctic Subtheme! Neat!
I think that the olive green stripes is meant to denote that this is a Jungle set, like the previous sets had medium azure highlights to denote that they were Arctic.
As someone who himself has a butt-chin, I'm thrilled to see this minifigure head sporting one!
I built this set last weekend. It’s excellent! So far the only one I have of new jungle theme, but I noticed on photos that most of landscape bits can connect to each other. Maybe a special review of this feature @Huw @CapnRex101 ?
This year’s City: excellent space and jungle subthemes, plus great additions to regular fire, police, and construction sections, like 60420 Construction Excavator and 60409 Mobile Construction Crane. It shapes to be the best theme of 2024!
I just bought 60424 not that long ago and I was quite impressed with it. I won't be getting any more jungle sets but this one and the water plane look quite interesting!
@myth said:
"I built this set last weekend. It’s excellent! So far the only one I have of new jungle theme, but I noticed on photos that most of landscape bits can connect to each other. Maybe a special review of this feature @Huw @CapnRex101 ?
This year’s City: excellent space and jungle subthemes, plus great additions to regular fire, police, and construction sections, like 60420 Construction Excavator and 60409 Mobile Construction Crane. It shapes to be the best theme of 2024!"
Yes, the landscapes connect. I have 30665, 60424, 60425, and 60426 in a row. Each has a clip on the left side and a vertical bar on the right.
@HJB2810 said:
" @Your_Future_President said:
"Four words
Johnny Thunder Theatrical Movie "
Would it be as good as The Adventures of Clutch Powers though?"
The bar isn't too difficult to clear
That’s the worst color scheme I’ve seen on a Mars rover, and Mutt Thunder needs to invest in some shampoo.
@SMC said:
"A little odd that we have had two tigers (and a saber tooth tiger) and not one has been orange."
https://brickset.com/minifigs/loc073/tormak-orange-outfit
@PurpleDave said:
" @SMC said:
"A little odd that we have had two tigers (and a saber tooth tiger) and not one has been orange."
https://brickset.com/minifigs/loc073/tormak-orange-outfit"
More recently:
https://brickset.com/minifigs/hol258/year-of-the-tiger-guy
Which is kind of my point, I would like to see what this new mould looks like in orange.
This was a day one purchase for me and it did not disappoint. I love the callbacks to last year's City characters and colors. The truck build is very appealing, so is the tiger. And there's this Tommy Lightning minifig, too. That's not too shabby either.
A great subtheme with tons of fun at reasonable prices.
Johnny Thunder doesn't need a revolver since Sam Sinister went into the theme park business and stopped trying to steal ancient artifacts anyways. So the only LEGO adventure seeker who needs a gun these days is that one Harrison Ford look alike guy in the 1930's then!
I wonder if there is a link between this Tiger and the one pictured inside the 60440 Lego Truck? Did he quit his Jungle job to become a truck driver? 2nd job? Tiger on the stickers look the same.
Tiger = Playmobile
@xboxtravis7992 said:
"Johnny Thunder doesn't need a revolver since Sam Sinister went into the theme park business and stopped trying to steal ancient artifacts anyways. So the only LEGO adventure seeker who needs a gun these days is that one Harrison Ford look alike guy in the 1930's then! "
Indeed. For once, Johnny Thunder doesn't have to worry about greedy art thieves, oriental tyrants, and secret robot police causing trouble. He can just go on an adventure and leave his revolver at home!
One fairly obscure bit of Adventurers lore is that Johnny Thunder is a photographer for World Magazine, as depicted in "The Curse of the Mummy" puzzle book. Therefore, Johnny shooting film instead of bullets is really just him going back to his roots.
Fun fact: the live feed of the tiger can be found being played on the TV in the sleeper cab of the 60440 LEGO Delivery Truck
Who Dey?!
Now we have a Shere Khan and we got a Bagheera a few years ago, I'd like a Baloo, a Kaa and Mowgli to be able to add to a Jungle Book scene.
@vizzitor said:
"Now we have a Shere Khan and we got a Bagheera a few years ago, I'd like a Baloo, a Kaa and Mowgli to be able to add to a Jungle Book scene."
We've also got elephants, although you'd need to depict more than one scene if you wanted to include them.
Is the Johnny Thunder Fig supposed like he missed and cut himself a little while shaving or is the red a print error?
@rainstorm26 said:
"Tiger = Playmobile"
The playmobile Tigers i had as a child actually had more articulation than the Lego mold
@HJB2810 said:
" @Huw @CapnRex101 Why are there no articles about the reveals of 41838 or 41839 even though the sets' pages have been updated?"
is 41838 supposed to be the "duckbricks" set?
@Eightcoins8 said:
"Is the Johnny Thunder Fig supposed like he missed and cut himself a little while shaving or is the red a print error?"
it's his chin-dimple
@xboxtravis7992:
Didn’t Sinister have a bunch of artifacts in 10273, indicating that Johnny basically Indy-5’d the whole affair? Maybe they made him turn in his gun as punishment.
@vizzitor:
There’s already a bear, a large snake, and you could use 8831-10 for the last one.
@BelgianBricker:
Chinple?
Too expensive, but then again the 'LEGO CEO Ferrari' fund does not fill itself.. Should probably be more around 20-25 USD, but they are trying to bank on people wanting the tiger... like the Jurassic park/World series does with Dinos
Looks fine.
Will buy it.
Not a Technic.
Okay price.
:o)
Johnny Thunder is better than Indiana Jones by such a large measure, you might be better off counting to infinity than attempting to measure this undeniable fact.
@Murdoch17 said:
"Johnny Thunder is better than Indiana Jones by such a large measure, you might be better off counting to infinity than attempting to measure this undeniable fact."
1,2,3,4,5... :)
@560heliport said:
"Yes, the landscapes connect. I have 30665 , 60424 , 60425 , and 60426 in a row. Each has a clip on the left side and a vertical bar on the right. "
Not just the scenery, the 2 x 2 map tiles found in each set connect as well to form a 4 x 4 larger map of the jungle area.
@whiteghost said:
" @560heliport said:
"Yes, the landscapes connect. I have 30665 , 60424 , 60425 , and 60426 in a row. Each has a clip on the left side and a vertical bar on the right. "
Not just the scenery, the 2 x 2 map tiles found in each set connect as well to form a 4 x 4 larger map of the jungle area.
"
I know, I'm just waiting for the helicopter to get the fourth map.
I'm just gonna say what everyone's thinking: the new tiger makes the 2017 tiger look like absolute garbage.
@yellowcastle said:
" @Murdoch17 said:
"Johnny Thunder is better than Indiana Jones by such a large measure, you might be better off counting to infinity than attempting to measure this undeniable fact."
1,2,3,4,5... :)"
"1,2,3,4,5?! That's the same combination I have on my luggage!"
I have EXPLORATION subtheme from 2023. (Some sets in double).
Now in 2024 all these sets are DAY 1 for me. BECAUSE it is those same characters + new ones! AND there is even more sets coming. More LORE.
This looks cool. i might moc it into a mobile lab or care unit for the animals. Cool truck tho