Maruti Suzuki has announced the fuel prices of the Wagon R Flex in India, making it the country’s first mass-market passenger vehicle capable of running on higher ethanol blends. The hatchback is priced at Rs 7.24 lakh, ex-showroom, and was recently showcased in production-ready form ahead of its price announcement.Based on the top-spec WagonR ZXi+ variant, the new Flex Fuel model is designed to run on ethanol-petrol blends ranging from E20 to E85. This means that the vehicle can use fuel containing up to 85% ethanol.Powering the Wagon R Flex fuel is Maruti Suzuki’s 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine. The motor produces 90 bhp and 113.7 Nm of peak torque and is mated to a five-speed manual transmission. An automatic gearbox is currently not available. At Rs 7.24 lakh, the WagonR Flex Fuel commands a premium of around Rs 85,000 over the standard WagonR ZXi+ 1.2-litre manual variant. However, Maruti Suzuki has clarified that the flex fuel version is currently being offered only for commercial use and is not available for private buyers. The hatchback will be sold in both metallic and non-metallic colours.Features include a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, steering-mounted controls, six airbags, fog lamps, alloy wheels, and electrically adjustable as well as fold-out rearview mirrors.To make the engine compatible with higher ethanol content, Maruti Suzuki has incorporated several modifications, including upgraded fuel injectors and fuel pumps, revised fuel lines, a recalibrated ECU, and an ethanol sensor.
