Maruti Suzuki launched India's first flex-fuel car, the Wagon R Bioflex, earlier this month without revealing its specifications or price. Now, the prices of the Wagon R Bioflex model has been revealed.
As per a report of Autocar India, the flex-fuel version of its popular hatchback will start from Rs 7.24 lakh ex-showroom. This new variant is based on the top-spec ZXi+ petrol-manual model and costs Rs 86,000 more.
The Wagon R Bioflex is powered by Maruti Suzuki's 1.2-litre K12N four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine, which has been specially modified to support higher ethanol blends. The reported Rs 86,000 premium remains the same regardless of whether the standard Wagon R is purchased in a metallic or non-metallic paint finish, according to the report. However, the dual-tone colour option offered on some Wagon R variants is not available on the Bioflex model.
As per the report, the Bioflex version will cost about Rs 1.35 lakh to Rs 2.25 lakh costly more than the Wagon R Tour H3 commercial variant, which is priced between Rs 4.99 lakh and Rs 5.89 lakh. The Tour H3, however, uses a smaller 1.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine producing 69 hp.
To enable flex-fuel compatibility, Maruti Suzuki has reportedly introduced several engineering changes, including upgraded fuel injectors, a revised fuel pump, new fuel lines, a recalibrated engine control unit (ECU), and an ethanol sensor. These modifications allow the vehicle to operate on ethanol blends ranging from E20 to E100.
India has been aggressively promoting ethanol-blended fuels to reduce dependence on crude oil imports and strengthen energy security. After rolling out E20 fuel nationwide, the government is now exploring the use of higher ethanol blends produced from feedstocks such as sugarcane, maize and surplus rice.
Unlike conventional petrol vehicles, which are designed for lower ethanol concentrations, flex-fuel vehicles can operate on blends such as E85 and even near-pure ethanol (E100), making them an important part of India's future alternative-fuel roadmap.
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari recently approved the use of 100 per cent ethanol fuel to reduce India’s dependence on imported fossil fuels. The move is also aimed at accelerating the shift towards alternative energy sources, he said during a press conference.
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