Maruti Wagon R, as we all know is one of the most popular hatchback in India. In fact, it is the first car for many Indians. Wagon R comes with options for petrol and CNG engine options. However, we could see an all new engine option with the Wagon R and is said to be more environmentally friendly. No, it is not an EV as the new technology will be compatible with the same engine the Wagon R currently has. We are talking about the flex-fuel Wagon R which is expected to bring a lot of benefits for customers and environment.
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What is Flex Fuel?
Now before jumping to the flex-fuel Wagon R, let’s understand about this technology. Flex-fuel is ethanol based fuel which is blended with petrol which will benefit in lesser carbon emission. Ethanol is E100 graded fuel which is derived from Sugarcane & other vegetables and will work as an alternative fuel. Indian cars are currently compatible with E20 flex fuel wherein 20 is denoted as 20% of ethanol blended with petrol.
Further, the amount of ethanol will be increased to 85% for which automakers will have to do certain changes to the engine. Government believes that the new technology will definitely help to reduce the carbon footprint that regular gasoline consumption engines have. The other major benefit will be the cost. It is said that ethanol based petrol will be cheaper than regular petrol, benefiting the end customers.
Flex-Fuel Maruti Wagon R
At the Auto Expo 2023, Maruti became the first Indian brand to showcase its ethanol based car. And it is our beloved Maruti Wagon R. It was a prototype model and according to the brand, the engine is capable of handling petrol blended with ethanol from 20% to as much as 85%. Talking about the engine specifications, the Wagon R is offered with a 1.0-litre petrol and a 1.2-litre petrol engine. Out of these two, the flex-fuel will be compatible with the 1.2-litre petrol engine. This engine produces 89bhp and 113Nm torque and comes mated with manual and AMT transmissions. However, it will be interesting to see if Maruti offers the AMT option with flex-fuel Wagon R.
Design, Interior & Features
In terms of design the flex-fuel Wagon R is identical to the current model. However, the prototype was wearing few graphics to express the new engine. The production model may not have such loud graphics but we could see some green highlights on the body. Even the interiors were exactly the same as the regular model. The only change was the grey and beige colour treatment for seat upholstery and dashboard. Rest, everything was similar and the same can be expected on the production model as well. On the feature front, the flex-fuel Wagon R is expected to continue with a similar feature list. The list includes – 7-inch touchscreen, wired Android Auto and Apple Carplay, 4-speakers, alloy wheels, power folding ORVMs, steering mounted controls, front fog lamps, and rear washer wiper.
Flex-Fuel Maruti Wagon R – Launch and pricing
Talking about the launch, Maruti will likely launch the flex fuel Wagon R in 2025. It is still a prototype and Maruti would test the car extensively before launching in the mass market. In terms of pricing we can expect a slight premium on the current model. Currently, the Wagon R is priced between Rs 6.48 lakh to Rs 8.69 lakh (on-road, Mumbai).
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