Almost exactly two years ago, we acquired our 5-door Jimny as a long-term media vehicle to assist us in the field while creating content and transporting camera equipment and the like to some weird and wonderful places.
The brief was simple: do not go all out and build an extremely capable rock-climbing turbo mini-monster truck, but rather add some tasteful, ‘OEM-approved’ accessories that maximise the already practical nature of the Jimny.
When the time came to return the Jimny, I’d fallen so in love with it and the way it fits my lifestyle that I decided to purchase the vehicle from Suzuki.
So now it’s mine, I plan to begin a 2.0 build project, this time going completely overboard and building a micro-overlanding beast that harks back to our original 3-door Jimny, which we acquired in 2022.
First up was deciding whether or not to replace the Takla seat covers and interior, which was one of the first things we had fitted when receiving the vehicle, as we’d had such good experiences with it on our first 3-door Jimny.
The Takla seat covers fitted to the Suzuki Jimny 5-door are designed as a heavy-duty, vehicle-specific protection system built for real-world off-road and daily-use conditions. Manufactured from durable, waterproof materials with a foam-backed inner layer, they combine long-term comfort with excellent resistance to mud, dust, abrasion and UV exposure. Their tailored fit gives the seats an almost factory-finished appearance while still allowing full functionality of the Jimny’s folding seats and interior features. Designed specifically for overlanding and outdoor lifestyles, the covers are also removable and washable, making them easy to maintain even after years of hard use.
After two years and 30,000 km of daily driving, off-road trips, muddy gear, kids, dogs, camera bags and general abuse, the Takla covers have worn in rather than worn out.
After discussing this with Takla, they explained that they offer a cleaning and refitment service, which was very reasonably priced, so I decided on this option instead of doing a complete overhaul.
The process took one week, during which Takla hand-washed the full interior. While waiting for this to be completed, I noticed that the original seats still looked brand new underneath.
The refitment took only a few hours, and even the Velcro for the load liner was reapplied, making it feel like I was having a brand-new installation done again. Honestly, I even asked them if they had remade the covers as they looked so good.
Once washed and refitted, they looked remarkably fresh again — almost like a well-used pair of quality jeans.
At an estimated cost of R1,500 for a full interior clean (depending on vehicle), and around R750 for the Jimny seat covers, this was money well spent, and I will definitely be doing this again in another 30,000 km.
For more information, visit: www.takla.co.za
Next up, we tackle the right tyres for the Jimny, and ‘finally’ we will be upgrading the suspension. Watch this space!
