Ethanol Association Members Buy The First Maruti WagonR BioFlex Cars
Maruti Suzuki launched India’s first flex-fuel car, the WagonR Bioflex on June 15, 2026. Deliveries of the car are now underway and the members of the Indian Sugar & Bio-energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA) became the first to take delivery of the WagonR Flex Fuel. The milestone delivery took place at the Maruti Suzuki Showroom in Karol Bagh, New Delhi.
Niraj Shirgaokar, President of ISMA stated that taking delivery of the vehicle was not merely symbolic, but a practical expression of confidence in India’s Ethanol-blending program. He also called the handover a defining moment for ISMA and the wider bio-energy ecosystem.
Deepak Ballani, Director General of ISMA, added that driving these vehicles (flex-fuel vehicles) underscores the ISMA's commitment to India’s energy security and shows that the Ethanol ecosystem here is mature and reliable.
ISMA’s adoption of flex-fuel vehicles, in a way, marks a full-circle moment for the Ethanol industry. The organisation has moved from producers and advocates of Ethanol to early adopters of Ethanol-powered vehicles.
In 2025, when India was still implementing the E20 (20% Ethanol blended petrol) rollout, ISMA had strongly defended the program, amid worries of blended fuel affecting vehicle health in the long run. The body argued that the blending program would channel the money spent on fuel back into the agricultural sector. ISMA has always highlighted such benefits- timely payments and more income for farmers, possible stabilisation of sugarcane prices and so on.
Additionally, ISMA had also called for a faster launch of flex-fuel vehicles, previously. More recently, the body also welcomed the recent government notification removing excise duty on higher Ethanol blends. It said that the decision reduces the tax burden on blended fuels and would in the long run, boost adoption of higher blends like E22, E25 and more.
The sugar industry continues to be a major supplier of Ethanol in India. Increasing blending can lead to effective utilisation, as production is already known to exceed demand. Ethanol producers have also been asking the government to increase the blending in regular petrol to 22 or 23 percent.
ISMA recently stated that realising the full potential of higher ethanol blending will depend greatly on manufacturers accelerating the production of flex-fuel models. Regulatory steps such as BIS certification and ARAI validation, it said, are necessary enablers. The body also stated that if half of India's vehicle fleet moves to flex-fuel, an additional 400 crore litres of annual ethanol demand can be unlocked.
Maruti Suzuki has based its first flex-fuel model on an extremely popular platform. The WagonR already has a strong foothold in both private and fleet segments. The flex-fuel version has an ex-showroom price of Rs 7.24 lakh. That’s Rs 86,000 more expensive than the regular car’s top-spec variant. Both metallic and non-metallic paints are available on the flex-fuel version.
The carmaker hasn’t revealed details of the engine and its fuel efficiency. However, we know that it is capable of operating on blends of up to E85 ( 85% Ethanol and 15% petrol). The exact power and torque figures of this engine haven’t been disclosed yet. The flex-fuel version is said to feature upgraded fuel lines, injectors, Ethanol concentration sensor and other key improvements.
E85 fuel was officially launched in India on World Environment Day this year- June 5th. It costs Rs 82.12 per litre in Delhi- Rs 20 less than a litre of E20 petrol. This makes many believe that running on E85 fuel can potentially reduce fuel bills. The reality may just be the opposite. We have explained the same in one of our previous stories.