As India accelerates its transition to alternative fuels, Maruti Suzuki is preparing to take a big step forward. That said, speaking at an event at Nagpur, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has confirmed that Maruti Suzuki is set to unveil a new flex-fuel vehicle in India on June 5. According to the minister, the upcoming vehicle will be capable of running on 100% ethanol (E100). However, Maruti Suzuki hasn’t confirmed this development yet. But earlier, it had stated that it already possesses the technology for higher ethanol blends and flex-fuel vehicles.
Gadkari said, “Vehicles with such flex-fuel engines are going to be introduced on a large scale soon. On the occasion of Environment Day this year, there is a programme in Delhi where Maruti Suzuki will launch vehicles running 100 per cent on ethanol.” He further highlights the government’s aim to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and crude oil imports. “We should minimise the use of petrol, diesel, and gas because 87 per cent of these fuels are imported into our country. They not only cause pollution but also increase imports”, he added.
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The minister also confirmed that aside from Maruti Suzuki, carmakers like Toyota, Tata and Mahindra are also working on flex-fuel vehicles for the Indian market. In fact, we also reported that Tata is likely to launch the flex-fuel Punch by the end of this year. Recently, BIS has also notified technical specifications for higher ethanol blends such as E22, E25, E27 and E30. Additionally, amendments were also proposed to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules for the legal framework of E85 and E100 blended fuels.
For those unaware, Maruti Suzuki had already showcased the flex-fuel WagonR prototype at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2024, while an E85-compatible flex-fuel iteration of the Fronx was displayed at the Japan Mobility Show in 2025. Among them, we expect the Fronx flex-fuel to be the first to launch in India.
Compared to the standard Fronx, the flex-fuel version will feature upgraded fuel lines, injectors, seals and engine components, along with recalibration tuning to handle the corrosive properties of ethanol. With all these changes, it is expected to command a premium of around Rs 50,000 over the regular version. However, it is worth noting that it will still take a few years before flex-fuel vehicles become available to the general public, as there are lots of challenges ahead to become ready for higher ethanol blends like E85 or E100. Nevertheless, the E25 could soon become a reality as the government has recently directed ARAI to conduct a study on its impact on E10 and E20-compliant cars.
