Maruti Suzuki has announced the pricing of the Wagon R Bioflex, India’s first flex-fuel passenger car. The launch marks a significant step towards promoting ethanol-blended fuels and reducing the country’s dependence on imported crude oil.
For buyers interested in this eco-friendly hatchback, here are the key details:
Price and variant
Starting price: The Wagon R Bioflex is priced from ₹7.24 lakh (ex-showroom).
Premium over standard model: The flex-fuel version is based on the top-spec Wagon R ZXi+ petrol-manual variant and carries a premium of ₹86,000 over the equivalent standard petrol model.
Colour options: The additional ₹86,000 premium applies equally to both metallic and non-metallic paint finishes. However, the dual-tone colour schemes available on the regular Wagon R are not offered on the Bioflex version.
Comparison with commercial variant: The Wagon R Bioflex is priced approximately ₹1.35 lakh to ₹2.25 lakh higher than the Wagon R Tour H3 commercial variant, which is priced between ₹4.99 lakh and ₹5.89 lakh. However, the Tour H3 is equipped with a smaller 1.0-litre engine.
Engine and flex-fuel capability
Powertrain: The Wagon R Bioflex is powered by Maruti Suzuki’s 1.2-litre K12N four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine.
Fuel compatibility: The engine has been specially engineered to run on fuel blends ranging from E20 to E100, allowing it to operate with ethanol concentrations of 20 percent to 100 percent.
Key engineering upgrades
To ensure safe and efficient operation on high-ethanol fuels, Maruti Suzuki has made several significant modifications to the engine and fuel delivery system.
Upgraded fuel injectors and fuel pump
The injectors and fuel pump have been redesigned to accommodate the different flow characteristics and viscosity of ethanol-based fuels.
New fuel lines
The vehicle uses specially developed fuel lines made from materials that can withstand the corrosive properties of ethanol.
Ethanol sensor
An ethanol sensor continuously measures the ethanol content in the fuel tank and relays the information to the vehicle’s control systems.
Recalibrated engine control unit (ECU)
Using data from the ethanol sensor, the ECU automatically adjusts fuel delivery and engine parameters in real time to ensure optimal performance and efficiency across different ethanol blends.
Supporting India’s ethanol roadmap