Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest car manufacturer, recently showcased the prototype version of the WagonR flex-fuel vehicle in the country. The WagonR FFV has been designed and developed locally by engineers of Maruti Suzuki with necessary support from Suzuki Motor Corporation, Japan. It was unveiled in the presence of Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways.
Maruti Suzuki WagonR flex-fuel: What’s new?
Maruti Suzuki WagonR FFV is India’s first mass-segment flex-fuel car and it has been designed to run on any ethanol-petrol blend between 20% (E20) and 85% (E85) fuel. It has an upgraded engine designed specifically to use higher ethanol-blended petrol along with new fuel system technologies like heated fuel-rail for cold start assist and ethanol sensor for ethanol percentage detection.
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Further, components like engine management system, new fuel pump and fuel injector have been developed along with upgradation of other mechanical components to ensure engine as well as vehicle durability. The Maruti Suzuki WagonR FFV will also comply with the upcoming and more stringent BS6 phase-II emission norms.
Maruti Suzuki WagonR flex-fuel: Engine specs
The prototype version of the Maruti Suzuki WagonR flex-fuel gets a 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine that churns out 88.5 bhp at 6,000 RPM and 113 Nm of peak torque at 4,400 RPM. The engine comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. It has been developed to have a flex-fuel range of E20 to E85.
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Maruti Suzuki WagonR flex-fuel: Launch timeline
Maruti Suzuki has officially revealed that it will launch its first flex fuel vehicle by 2025 and in all likelihood, it will be the WagonR FFV. Will there be any price difference between the standard petrol variants and FFV variants of the car? Only time will tell!
Here’s what Maruti Suzuki said officially:
Commenting on the occasion, Hisashi Takeuchi, Managing Director & CEO, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said, “Maruti Suzuki has consistently aligned itself to the national objectives of reducing the country’s oil import burden and improving the environment. Designed and developed locally in India with support from SMC, Japan, the Wagon R Flex Fuel prototype vehicle emboldens Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ efforts.”
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He further added, “Notably, our research shows that ethanol fuel based Wagon R Flex Fuel prototype vehicle operating on E85 fuel will help reduce tailpipe GHG emissions by 79% in comparison to a conventional gasoline Wagon R model while ensuring the same power performance. Showcasing this Flex Fuel prototype vehicle is a step in this direction. We will introduce our first Flex Fuel vehicle for the compact segment by 2025.”
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