Maruti Suzuki has begun deliveries of the Wagon R Bioflex flex fuel car. At the same time, Maruti has now made the car purchasable for private buyers. Previously, it was reported that the car would only be available for commercial buyers when it was first unveiled earlier this month. The Bioflex is based on the standard models' top-spec ZXi+ 1.2P MT variant and is priced at Rs 7.24 lakh ex-showroom.
- First 13 units of the Wagon R Bioflex were delivered to customers in New Delhi.
- Powered by the standard Wagon R's 1.2-litre petrol engine.
- Gets several mechanical tweaks to run on higher ethanol blends.
Maruti Suzuki Wagon R flex-fuel deliveries commence
Maruti delivered the first units of the Wagon R Bioflex to members of the Indian Sugar and Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) from the brand's showroom in Karol Bagh, New Delhi. 13 units of the flex fuel Wagon R was also delivered to private customers in Delhi.
Maruti Wagon R flex fuel: A brief overview
The Wagon R Bioflex is India’s first production-spec flex-fuel car. It's powered by the same 91hp, 114Nm,1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine as the standard Wagon R, which is mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. It is capable of running on ethanol blends ranging between E20 and E100. However, to accommodate higher ethanol blends, it comes with upgraded fuel injectors and fuel pumps, new fuel lines, a recalibrated ECU and an ethanol sensor.
Maruti has not yet revealed the Wagon R Bioflex’s claimed fuel-efficiency figures. But it is expected to be less than the standard models' efficiency figures. This is due to recent findings in our E20 vs E85 fuel mileage test with the Suzuki Gixxer SF 250, where E85 efficiency was 24.40 percent lower than E20 mileage. Though the Gixxer belongs to an entirely different vehicle category, a similar drop in fuel efficiency is expected for the Wagon R Bioflex as well. For reference, the standard WagonR’s 1.2-litre petrol engine has a claimed efficiency of 23.56kpl and 24.43kpl for the 5-speed manual and 5-speed AMT gearboxes, respectively.
Currently, the Wagon R Bioflex is sold in only one fully loaded. At Rs 7.24 lakh, the Bioflex is Rs 86,000 pricier than the regular petrol-powered WagonR in ZXi+ MT guise. In comparison to the fleet-only Tour H3, which is priced at Rs 4.99 lakh (petrol MT) and Rs 5.89 lakh (CNG MT), the Wagon R Bioflex is more expensive by Rs 1.35 lakh and Rs 2.25 lakh, respectively. The Bioflex isn’t only more expensive here due to its ethanol-compliant engine, but it's powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine, unlike the Tour H3, which uses a smaller 1.0-litre petrol engine.
The Wagon R Bioflex looks largely similar to the standard model, but gets ‘Flex’ Fuel’ decals on the sides, and ‘Bioflex’ badging at the back. The cabin of the Bioflex is identical to the regular Wagon R, which gets a black and beige theme with fabric seat upholstery. The equipment list comprises a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, 6 airbags and electronic stability control (ESP). It also gets a manual AC with rear vents, all four power windows, a manually adjustable inside rearview mirror (IRVM), 4 speakers, front fog lamps, rear parking sensors, rear wiper and washer, and outside rearview mirror (ORVM) mounted turn indicators.
All prices are ex-showroom, India
Uday Singh
Dhruv Dhaka
