E20 fuel damages Maruti car; company ordered to give customer a new vehicle

NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing debate over E20 petrol, a district consumer commission in Chhattisgarh has directed Maruti Suzuki and its dealer in Raipur to replace a customer's Grand Vitara Strong Hybrid with a new E20-compatible vehicle of the same model, in its order dated July 14.What was the E20 fuel dispute about?The complainant, Dr Premraj Devta, a 41-year-old Raipur resident, had purchased a Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara Strong Hybrid Zeta Plus. He alleged that the vehicle developed repeated technical problems after E20 petrol became widely available, and that he was not informed at the time of purchase that the vehicle was not fully compatible with the ethanol-blended fuel, as per the court order.He filed the complaint before the Raipur District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (Additional Bench) against two parties — the dealership, Nexa Magneto (Sky Auto Mobile), and Maruti Suzuki India Limited.