Maruti Suzuki WagonR Flex Fuel vs Petrol: What's Different?

Maruti Suzuki has recently unveiled a production-spec WagonR Flex Fuel in India. The ethanol-compatible hatchback has been showcased multiple times in prototype and concept forms. However, this is the first time that it has taken a production-ready avatar. Compared to those previous showcases, the new WagonR Flex Fuel is different. And that makes this debut a big deal for end buyers. The homegrown automaker seems to have chosen the WagonR as its first flex-fuel car because the tallboy hatchback is a household name in India. The introduction of flex-fuel technology could be a way to promote the adoption of this alternative mobility solution and encourage the wider use of high-ethanol blends in the country. The production-spec WagonR Flex Fuel is compliant

with E100 (100% ethanol), although it has been homologated to run on E85 fuel, which consists of 85% ethanol and 15% petrol. Here's a quick look at how the WagonR Flex Fuel differs from the regular petrol model in terms of engine, design, and mileage.

Maruti Suzuki Flex Fuel vs Petrol Version: Engine

Before getting into what's changed under the hood of the two WagonRs, let's understand what flex fuel actually is. Flex fuel is an alternative fuel made by blending regular petrol with renewable biofuels like ethanol, a plant-derived alcohol typically produced from sugarcane, corn, or other agricultural waste. Unlike a standard car or bike that's tuned for a fixed type of fuel, a flex fuel vehicle can run on any blend of petrol and ethanol, which is from E20 (20% ethanol) to up to E100 (pure ethanol).

The Flex Fuel WagonR and standard model are said to have the same 1.2-litre, four-cylinder engine and a 5-speed manual gearbox, but it reworked to support the higher ethanol content. Some of the prominent key changes include upgraded injectors and fuel pump, corrosion-resistant fuel lines, a revised ECU calibration, an ethanol sensor, and heated fuel rails. Exact power figures are still under wraps, but you can expect them to be marginally better as ethanol has a higher octane rating.

Maruti Suzuki Flex Fuel vs Petrol Version: Mileage

The standard WagonR has a claimed fuel efficiency of 23.56–25.19km/l. Currently, there is no confirmation, but you can expect the Flex Fuel version to return lower mileage due to ethanol's lower energy density. That said, ethanol is comparatively cheaper than petrol, which could help reduce overall running costs and make the Flex Fuel more economical for high-mileage users.

Maruti Suzuki Flex Fuel vs Petrol Version: Design and Features

The WagonR Flex Fuel resembles the standard petrol model in terms of exterior design, cabin and features. Maruti suzuki has added green and blue decals across the bodywork, a green accent strip running along the side profile, and Flex Fuel branding on the doors to separate the Flex Fuel from its regular counterpart. Amenities both for comfort and safety remain unchanged, with a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, manual air conditioning, six airbags, rear parking sensors and ABS with EBD.

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki WagonR Flex Fuel Debuts As India’s First Ethanol Car - What’s New?

Maruti Suzuki Flex Fuel vs Petrol Version: Price

Given the additional hardware and engineering upgrades, the WagonR Flex Fuel is likely to be a bit costlier than the standard petrol model.While Maruti Suzuki is yet to announce the prices, the flex-fuel version is expected to be around Rs 40,000-50,000, more expensive than the standard version, which starts at Rs 4.99 lakh (ex-showroom).