Upcoming Flex Fuel Cars: Maruti WagonR FFV To Tata Punch FFV
India’s Ethanol blending program has lately been creating a lot of headlines. Flex fuel vehicles (FFVs)- those that run on high Ethanol blends- will soon debut here. In fact, Maruti Suzuki will be the first manufacturer to launch flex fuel cars in India. In the upcoming months, we will also see manufacturers like Hyundai, Toyota and Tata Motors coming up with FFV models. Here is a closer look.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari stated it first: Maruti Suzuki will reveal its first flex-fuel models ahead of World Environment Day this year (June 5th). Details of the showcasing event surfaced soon after this. Maruti Suzuki will show its first flex-fuel models at an event in Taj Palace, Delhi, on June 4, 2026. We don’t know what the company’s first FFV for India would be. There are two strong possibilities- the Fronx and WagonR. The carmaker had previously showcased both of these in prototype forms.
The Fronx is a hot-selling model in India. At the Japan Mobility Show last year, the company showcased an FFV based on the same.The production model is expected to support blends of up to E85 (85% Ethanol-blended petrol).
The FFV version will be powered by a heavily modified version of the outgoing model’s K12N petrol engine. The plumbing changes and ECU modifications done to this would enable flex-fuel support. On the regular car, the naturally aspirated petrol engine produces 90hp and 113Nm. The power figures of the FFV version remains unclear for now.
The flex fuel-powered Fronx will have fuel lines that are immune to the corrosive nature of Ethanol and modified fuel pumps. The engine will use different injectors as well. There will be an Ethanol sensor which will detect the amount of Ethanol present in the fuel used and the ECU uses information from this to adjust the combustion characteristics accordingly. These components, particularly the concentration sensor, are critical parts of flex fuel powertrains and will be present in most FFV models that we talk about here.
On the design front, the flex fuel version of Maruti Fronx is likely to remain similar to the regular version.
The second possible flex fuel launch from Maruti Suzuki would be the WagonR FFV. The company had showcased a near production-ready prototype at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025 and Auto Expo 2023. When launched, this will become the country’s first mass-market flex-fuel car.
The FFV version of WagonR is expected to get minimal design changes from the standard model. The feature and cabin packaging could also remain identical. The instrument cluster may show the Ethanol levels in the fuel used. At the heart of this car will be the WagonR’s familiar 1.2-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine, but in a heavily modified form. It will come with heated fuel rails, modified injectors and pump, Ethanol sensor and more. The WagonR FFV will support fuel blends from E20 to E85. It will also be BS6 Phase 2 compliant.
Toyota plans to launch a flex fuel version of the Innova Hycross in the near future. Minister Gadkari has already been using one for months now. This will be more advanced than the two FFVs mentioned above. It will combine the strong hybrid setup with an Ethanol-compatible engine. This would make the Hycross one of the most advanced and fuel-efficient flex-fuel vehicles in India, when launched.
The FFV will use the same 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine as the regular MPV. Like other FFV models, it will also come with significant upgrades in plumbing and ECU tuning. Even the hybrid system will be tweaked to enable flex-fuel support. The Hycross FFV will support blends of up to E85.
Tata Motors also has plans to enter the FFV space. Its first flex fuel vehicle will most likely be based on the Punch micro-SUV. The carmaker had previously showcased a prototype at the Bharat Mobility Expo 2025. The production model will be out by the end of this year, as confirmed by Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director and CEO, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles.
The Punch FFV will be powered by a modified version of the 1.2-litre petrol engine. The vehicle will likely support blends from E20 to E100.
At Bharat Mobility Expo 2025, Hyundai showcased a flex-fuel version of its hot-selling Creta SUV. Interestingly, that prototype was capable of operating even on E100 (near pure Ethanol) blends. Powering it is a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol flex fuel engine that makes around 118hp and 170Nm. This is not something that the outgoing Creta comes with. The regular version offers three engine options- 1.5L naturally aspirated petrol, 1.5L turbocharged diesel and 1.5L turbocharged petrol.
The flex fuel engine will come with a 6-speed torque-converter automatic transmission. Heavy changes were made to its fuel system and ECU to enable E100 support. We lack clarity on the possible launch timeline of this model.