New Tata Curvv Spied – E85 Flex Fuel or CNG?
The race to E85 capable flex fuel technology is on and vehicle manufacturers in India are jumping on the bandwagon. The race was kickstarted by Honda with the launch of CB300F Flex Fuel in October 2024, followed by Suzuki Gixxer SF 250 FFV and then Hero MotoCorp recently entered the chat and the latest one is Yamaha.
Where 4W vehicles are concerned, Maruti Suzuki WagonR Bioflex which is currently the only one launched in India and it sold just 3 units till June 29th. Tata Motors has yet to join the chat and is expected to launch a flex fuel vehicle in 2026. A Tata Curvv was spied recently and it sparks speculations whether it is Tata’s first flex fuel vehicle for India.
Tata Curvv E85 Spied Testing?
Automotive enthusiast Tanmay recently spotted a test mule Tata Curvv Coupe SUV wrapped with full camouflage, despite being already launched in the country. Curvv is Tata’s and India’s first-ever mainstream coupe SUV and there is a good probability that it could emerge as Tata’s first-ever flex fuel offering.
New Tata Curvv Spied – E85 Flex Fuel or CNG?
The company is expected to debut or launch a flex fuel vehicle in India and there are a few recipients for this task. There have been Altroz test mules spied on public roads and then Punch test mules and now we can see Curvv test mules. One of these or all three of these vehicles could be testing flex fuel technology.
For a vehicle to run on flex fuel with up to E85 blend fuels, there is a need for significant engineering overhaul with the powertrain along with fuel storage and fuel supply systems. That is because Ethanol in the fuel has a tendency of retaining moisture and higher the ethanol content, higher is the associated moisture.
So, fuel storage and supply lines have to be re-engineered to incorporate higher Ethanol blends in the country. Tata Motors might be eying for E85 or even E100, as per reports and considering the volatile and unpredictable developments on Ethanol blending in India’s domestic fuels.
New Tata Curvv Spied – E85 Flex Fuel or CNG?
Could It Be Curvv CNG?
There is a good probability of the recent Curvv test mules being a CNG version too. Tata Motors has mentioned that vehicles above 4m length will get CNG powertrains in the future. Obvious candidates are Sierra and Curvv, as both of them target the high volume C Segment Mid Size SUVs in the country. Sierra CNG test mule has been spied testing too.
If it is a CNG version, Tata is likely to give it their coveted dual-cylinder implementation. This way, Curvv CNG could offer the economy of CNG fuel and combination of a usable boot along with a spare wheel. Immediate rivals are from Maruti Suzuki and Toyota duo – Grand Vitara CNG, Victoris CNG and Hyryder CNG.