India’s prominent lifestyle vlogger, Sourav Joshi, has issued a public apology and retracted his controversial claims blaming government-mandated E20 (20% ethanol-blended) petrol for a massive drop in his luxury SUV’s mileage. Joshi had recently ignited a firestorm across social media after uploading a video showing that the fuel efficiency of his Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC had plummeted from 17 kmpl to just 5 kmpl over a 48-hour period, alleging that the blended fuel was ruining his vehicle.
The viral claims quickly prompted a swift, public response from Mercedes-Benz India, which clarified that all of its BS-VI petrol vehicles are fully compatible with E20 fuel and certified by regulatory authorities. Following the uproar, Joshi brought the vehicle to an authorized service center for diagnostic testing, where technicians discovered an actual mechanical fault within the engine that was solely responsible for the efficiency drop. Recognizing his mistake, the YouTuber deleted the controversial portion of his vlog and publicly apologized to his followers, acknowledging that his hasty assumptions about E20 fuel were entirely unfounded.
