When thinking about the Suzuki Jimny, thoughts of a legendary off-road vehicle come to mind. And the new iteration of this popular SUV, that launched in 2018, is a brutishly capable vehicle.

It’s not perfect, but it’s imperfectly brilliant. Moreover, it captures the imagination.

Pieter Ernst is one such person who was bowled over by the Jimny. Being part-owner of the Bona Bona Game Lodge, he spends many of his days out in the veld.

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But one day, after seeing a Jimny, a sight very common in South Africa, the thought crossed his mind to convert the Jimny into a safari vehicle.

It seemed ludicrous, but he reached out to his friends at Safari Conversions and presented the case to them.

“My farm’s nature is such that you can’t drive around in a bakkie whole day,” Pieter says.

“I looked at the Jeep Wrangler as an alternative, but I never took a liking to its entry and exit process. Then I saw the Jimny and thought, ‘Geez, if I could cut this thing’s roof off…’

“And I was very happy with the finished product! The Jimny is light on fuel, it’s capable off-road, and it’s servicing is very cheap.”

What’s changed?

Visually, Pieter’s Jimny is a real eye-catcher. The absent roof and bigger tyres are just some of the enhancements made to the SUV’s looks, but Pieter says that it was imperative that, as far as possible, the mechanicals remain standard.

However, the standard suspension has been ditched in favour of Tough Dog suspension to cater for the higher rear bench that’s been designed to carry two big men, and the standard tyres have been swapped for Maxxis off-road tyres.

Pieter says there was no reason to kit the Jimny with the new tyres, but it does add some visual appeal.

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The Jimny’s 1.5-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine (75kW / 130Nm) and four-speed automatic transmission are unchanged.

But were there any challenges converting this popular off-roader?

“I think because this was Safari Conversion’s first Jimny conversion, it might have been the only challenge,” Pieter notes.

“These guys do so many Toyotas, Mahindras, and Nissans for game viewers, so that’s why I think the only challenge was cutting and converting the first Jimny, seeing how the wiring comes together, and where not to cut to keep the structural rigidity.

“But they’re already busy with the next two Jimny conversions and I believe that we’ll be sending a few more their way!”

‘Compact and light’

Brendon Carpenter, Brand Marketing Manager art Suzuki SA, believes that the conversion is just another example of the well-liked and popular SUV’s ever-capable nature.

“The Jimny has a (literally) small environmental footprint and it is well known for being a compact and light off-roader.

“The Jimny has an iconic design and represents a unique proposition compared to usual game-viewing vehicles. And a strong and growing network support mean that services and maintenance at a dealership is not necessarily a long distance away.”

In 2023, Suzuki expanded the Jimny line-up to include a new five-door variant. It uses the same underpinnings and drivetrain as the three-door versions, but with the benefit of greater practicality.