Mercedes-Benz India has stated that all of its BS VI petrol-efficient vehicles are completely compatible with E20 petrol after famous vlogger Sourav Joshi claimed that ethanol-blended fuel had caused his Mercedes SUV’s mileage to drastically decline.
“At Mercedes-Benz, customer safety, vehicle reliability and performance are of paramount importance to us,” read the official statement. “All Mercedes-Benz petrol BS VI (Bharat Stage 6) vehicles are materially compatible with E20 fuel and certified accordingly by relevant authorities,” the automotive giant clarified. “We are happy to support customers for any technical queries. Mercedes-Benz remains committed to sustainable mobility,” it assured.
Customer Advisory pic.twitter.com/RxuTYl6Phz
— Mercedes-Benz India (@MercedesBenzInd) July 12, 2026
On 12th July (Sunday), Uttarakhand’s Haldwani-based Joshi uploaded a video titled “Race with Brothers: Kon Jeetega” (who will win) on his YouTube channel, which has over 41.3 million subscribers. He expressed concern over an alleged sharp decrease in the car’s mileage while sharing live dashboard readings from his Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC (Petrol). According to him, the SUV’s fuel efficiency had drastically decreased in just 48 hours.
“Yesterday I showed you our car’s mileage had gone from 17 kilometres per litre (km/l) straight down to 9, and do you know what it has become today? It has reached 5. Look at this, it’s displaying a mileage of 5. It is too low. I am feeling so bad. This has happened because of ethanol,” he asserted in the footage.
Joshi remarked, ked “I don’t know when this car will break down. Nowadays I’m so scared of refilling petrol. Many people have faced difficulties due to Ethanol-blended petrol.” His wife and fellow content creator Avantika Bhatt also agreed with him, stressing, “We have spent so much money on it.”
He contended that a full tank of petrol which previously provided him with a driving range of about 800 kilometres now only shows an estimated range of 480 kilometres after he refuels it. Joshi outlined that he has bought an electric Mercedes G-Wagon,n which relieves him of anxieties regarding fuel mixed with ethanol. “The petrol variant would have incurred higher costs along with extra fees following a breakdown. I will only drive the G-Wagon now,” he declared.
He also mentioned that maintaining a high luxury four-wheeler might become particularly tough for persons living outside big cities. He conveyed, “It is a Mercedes after all. I’ll have to send it to Delhi if a problem arises. Not only is petrol expensive, but if it breaks down, the repair costs are huge.”
The netizens counter the claims
An account indicated that the mileage of Joshi’s car model is 14.7 km/l as mentioned by the company. However, he inflated it to 16-17 km/l. Furthermore, Mercedes Benz also confirmed that the vehicle is compatible with E20. Therefore, he cannot blame ethanol or the manufacturer.
Saurav Joshi claims his mileage has dropped from 16-17 Km/L to 5 Km/L.
— The Analyzer (News Updates🗞️) (@Indian_Analyzer) July 12, 2026
– He owns Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC (X254)
Mercedes officially claims this model's mileage is 14.7 Km/L.
But he claims he used to get 16-17 Km/L 😳
— Mercedes has officially declared this model is E20… pic.twitter.com/8Su2OXOQVG
Saffron Charges shared Joshi’s clip from 2024 and wrote how he complained about the very same car’s “poor mileage” and voiced his frustration with its “low fuel efficiency.” Notably, E20 was introduced in April 2025. However, Joshi had outlined that he would spend ₹6,000 on petrol to fill the tank, but it would be used up in no time in the reportedly 2-year-old video.
YouTuber Saurav Joshi is claiming in a recent video that his Mercedes used to deliver 17 km/l, but after ethanol-blended petrol came into use, its mileage has dropped to just 5 km/l. He says his car used to give excellent mileage, but now it has become extremely poor.
— Saffron Chargers (@SaffronChargers) July 12, 2026
But back… pic.twitter.com/e6t62S16Pk
Another person highlighted, “The official claimed mileage for the petrol GLC 300 is 14.7 kmpl in perfect conditions,” and termed Joshi’s argument of 17 kmpl “highly improbable unless he was driving exclusively downhill on a highway.” He further pointed out, “E20 fuel causes a scientifically proven 3-5% drop in mileage. It does not cause a 70% drop (17 to 5 km/l).”
Sourav Joshi suing a Mercedes dealer over this would be embarrassing. Here are the facts:
— Sood Saab (@SoodSaab11) July 12, 2026
1️⃣ The official claimed mileage for the petrol GLC 300 is 14.7 km/l in perfect conditions. Him claiming he used to get 16-17 km/l is highly improbable unless he was driving exclusively… https://t.co/XPyIPgpSwt
The user added, “Any heavy, AWD (All-Wheel Drive) turbo-petrol SUV will show 5 km/l in stop-and-go traffic or while idling for a vlog. E20 compatibility means the engine won’t corrode. It doesn’t mean it defies the laws of physics in heavy traffic. Blaming the car or the dealer for this is just farming views.”
What is E20
E20 is fuel blended with up to 20% ethanol. The previous blends usually contained up to 15% ethanol. Increasing ethanol’s proportion in petrol is meant to lessen reliance on imported crude oil and cut carbon emissions because it is a renewable fuel made from agricultural feedstocks like sugarcane and cereals.
Certain vehicles may see a modest fall in fuel efficiency when using greater ethanol blends since ethanol has a slightly lower energy content than regular petrol. However, contemporary E20 automobiles are built to run safely on the fuel.
Why Joshi’s anti-E20 rant is unfounded
According to the official website, the Mercedes-Benz GLC petrol model, which is also owned by Joshi, is compatible with E20. This means that the vehicle’s engine and fuel system are either designed or upgraded to safely operate on petrol combined with up to 20% ethanol. Its mileage is also placed at 13.75 kmpl, which is not anywhere near Joshi’s 17 kmpl claim.
Moreover, the petrol variant of G-class vehicles is also compatible with E20. Joshi contended that he acquired the electric variant to avoid the complications associated with ethanol-blended petrol.
However, the company clearly illustrated that ethanol does not impact mileage or damage these premium luxury four-wheelers. “There may be a slight drop in efficiency, but it is not as though the government has suddenly introduced 20% ethanol overnight. These cars have been running on 15% ethanol for many years,” highlighted Mercedes-Benz India Managing Director and CEO Santosh Iyer, reported CNBC TV18.
He stated that even automobiles produced in 2023-2024 are completely in compliance with the most recent E20 fuel performance and emission standards. A slight decrease in fuel efficiency could transpire,e although even vehiclesbuilt beforeo 2020 should also continue to function on E20. “Someone may be dispensing E30 or some other mix, and that may be causing problems for some consumers,” he mentioned while pointing to adulteration at some outlets as a reason for issues flagged by individuals rather than approved E20.
