As the government continues to push for higher ethanol blends in fuel, Maruti Suzuki has showcased the Wagon flex fuel, becoming to first carmaker in India to introduce a flex fuel vehicle. The Wagon flex fuel is fully compliant with E85 fuel (blended fuel with up to 85 percent ethanol). This move comes as the government intends to reduce dependence on crude oil imports, especially in the midst of ongoing geopolitical tensions.
- No technical specifications revealed for Wagon R flex fuel
- Uses Maruti’s K12N, 1.2-litre, four-cylinder engine
- Govt targets up to 5000 E85 fuel dispensing stations by end of 2027
The Wagon R flex fuel will only be available for commercial use for now, which is why the carmaker hasn’t revealed any price for the vehicle. However, given the mechanical updates to comply with E85, it can be expected to cost more than the regular petrol and CNG versions.
Maruti Wagon R flex Fuel: what is it?
The Wagon R flex fuel has made an appearance on several occasions before, first in 2022, and then again at the Bharat Mobility Show in 2024. However, all previous versions were prototypes, while the one showcased today was a production-spec model. The catch is that it will be available only to the fleet operators and cab aggregators such as Ola and Uber.
The Wagon R flex fuel uses Maruti’s tried and tested K12N, 1.2-litre, four-cylinder engine, but gets several tweaks to be compatible with E85 fuel. It can effectively run on any blend of ethanol ranging from E20 to E85. Maruti Suzuki, however, has not revealed any specifications such as power output or fuel efficiency for the Wagon R flex fuel.
What about E85 availability?
While Maruti gets the bragging rights of introducing India’s first flex fuel vehicle, the availability of the fuel itself is very limited. E85 will require separate dispensers and storage facilities than regular E20 fuel which is currently the base standard. However, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has laid out an ambition plan of rolling out up to 5000 E85 dispensers by the end of 2027.
“In the beginning we’ll have about 50-100 dispensing station in the Delhi-NCR and Mumbai-Pune-Nagpur corridor. This will expand to 500 stations by December this year, and god willing, up to approximately 5000 stations across major Indian cities by end of next year,” said Puri. The Minister has also assured that E85 will be priced significantly lower than current E20 petrol.