Jimny 5-door lift kits from Japan: what HKS and Cusco cost, and the law

The Jimny Nomade that Suzuki sells in Japan is the five-door Jimny built in India, and Autocar India reports it is mostly identical to the Maruti version apart from badging and a few bits. That matters for owners here, because Japan's suspension houses have now developed kits for the long-wheelbase car, something they never did for an India-only model. Cusco lists lift and lowering kits for the JC74W. HKS lists Hipermax G+ coilovers in low down and lift up forms.

Short answer on cost: a Cusco spring set starts at ¥58,300 and a full 2-inch lift kit is ¥167,200, while HKS coilovers for the Nomad are ¥217,800 and ¥239,800. Add shipping from Japan, customs duty and GST on top. ACMA says the GST Council has put all auto components under a uniform 18 per cent slab, so the tax side is at least predictable now. Short answer on legality: a lift changes the vehicle from what the manufacturer specified, so Section 52 of the Motor Vehicles Act applies and you need the registering authority on board.

What the two makers actually sell

Cusco's kit page for the JC74W lists a 2-inch up suspension kit, part number 60V-6JS-U20, at ¥167,200. It raises the car by 50mm to 75mm at both ends and comes with four shocks, four springs, four threaded spacers, large capacity bump rubbers, four long brake hoses and an ABS harness relocation kit. The 1-inch kit, 60V-6JS-U10, is ¥143,000 for 25mm to 50mm of lift, with shocks, springs and spacers only. There is a 1-inch down kit at the same ¥143,000 for people who want a road-biased Jimny. Spring-only sets are ¥58,300 to ¥61,600 and are meant to run with stock or Cusco dampers.

HKS keeps it simpler. Its Jimny parts page lists Hipermax G+ LOW DOWN, 80270-AS005, at ¥217,800 and Hipermax G+ LIFT UP, 80270-AS006, at ¥239,800, both marked for the Nomad and not the three-door Sierra. The same page shows the JB64 three-door versions at ¥169,400 and ¥181,500, so the five-door parts carry a clear premium.

Importing it, and fitting it

Neither maker lists an Indian distributor for these kits, so you are ordering from Japan or through a shop that does. Three things to settle before you pay. One, confirm with the seller that the part suits your car and not just the Japanese model code, because the India-spec five-door carries its own part numbers even if the hardware matches. Two, budget for duty and GST, not just the yen price. Three, understand that the longer brake hoses and the ABS harness kit in the 2-inch Cusco box exist for a reason, and a cheaper spacer-only lift leaves those lines at stock length.

The RTO and your insurer

Section 52(1) says no owner shall alter a vehicle so that the particulars in the registration certificate are at variance with those originally specified by the manufacturer. Where an alteration has been made without approval, the owner must report it to the registering authority within fourteen days with the RC and the prescribed fee. The Supreme Court in Regional Transport Officer v. K. Jayachandra, 2019, held that compliance with Section 52 is mandatory, and law firm K Singhania and Co notes the 2019 amendment prescribes ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 penalties plus impounding, and that modifications are reported on Form 33.

Then tell your insurer. The same firm's note is blunt about it. Insurers can deny claims, cancel cover or cut a payout where a modification was not disclosed. A 1-inch lift on stock-size tyres, declared and endorsed, is a far easier car to own here than a 75mm lift on oversize rubber that nobody has been told about.

Sources

• CUSCO: Jimny Nomad JC74W lift-up and lowdown kits
• HKS: Jimny parts list, including Hipermax G+ for JC74W
• Autocar India: Jimny Nomade launched in Japan, supplied from India
• Section 52, Motor Vehicles Act 1988, alteration in motor vehicle
• K Singhania and Co: car modification laws in India
• ACMA welcomes uniform 18% GST rate on auto components