About Sameer Contractor
Sameer ContractorConnect with this authorWith an unquenchable thirst for everything automotive, Sameer has always been the go to auto guy that his friends needed. So, it isnt exactly surprising that he chooses to do what he does. A Batman fanatic, Sameers wants to go roof-scaping on the Tumbler, while the Bat motorcycle is certainly on the cards and he plans to build one himself. An avid foodie, he has a road trip in order that will be taking him across the world in search for the best roads and the best cuisines. While his stress buster involves taking aimless motorcycle rides, do not get offended by his sarcasm.
Articles of Sameer Contractor
EICMA 2019: Triumph Unveils Bonneville T100, T120 Bud Ekins Special Editions
It's the biggest motorcycle show of the year and two-wheeler manufacturers from across the globe are in Milan, Italy for the EICMA Motor Show. Keeping up with the host of exciting launches and products, Triumph Motorcycles has unveiled its 2020 line-up along with the new Bonneville T100 and the T120 Bud Ekins special edition models. The new special edition bikes pay hommage to iconic Hollywood stuntman and an off-road racer - Bud Ekins. The motorcycling icon was a top motocross and desert racer and professional Hollywood stuntman, landing arguably the motorcycle jump in film history when he stood-in for friend and fellow racer Steve McQueen in the WWII film, The Great Escape. The new special editions are inspired by Bud Ekins and California's culture of desert racing.
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Audi India Announces Extended Warranty, RSA & More Under New Lifetime Value Services
After a period of hibernation, Audi India is back to its aggressive strategy for the market and is on a spree of new product launches, festive offers and value programs. Bringing more value to the customer, Audi has announced the new 'Lifetime Value Services' initiative for India that brings extended warranty up to seven years, roadside assistance up to 11 years and flexible service plan up to eight years across the range. The new initiative aims to bring an enhanced after-sales experience to all Audi customers and also hassle-free ownership.
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Mahindra XUV300 Recalled In India For Faulty Suspension Components
Mahindra & Mahindra has announced a voluntary recall for the XUV300 subcompact SUV in the country. The automaker, in a regulatory filing as said that it is issuing a proactive inspection and replacement of suspension component on a "limited batch of XUV300 vehicles." The recall affects the Mahindra XUV300 that were manufactured till May 2019. The inspection and required rectification will be carried out free of cost for all affected XUV300 customers, the automaker said in its statement. Mahindra will individually contact the owners under the recall exercise.
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Skoda Kamiq GT Breaks Cover In China
The Skoda Kamiq was revealed earlier this year for the European market and the compact SUV has now got a Chinese cousin with the Kamiq GT that will hit the People's Republic of China soon. The new Skoda Kamiq GT has been officially revealed as a China-only model and joins the Kodiaq GT that is also specific to the country. Given that China is Skoda's largest market globally, it does get the extra treatment with region specific models. The Kamiq GT is based on standard Kamiq for China, while receiving cosmetic upgrades including that coupe roofline.
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MPV Segment Posts 4% Sales Growth Between April-September 2019 Despite Market Slowdown In India: Sur
The Indian auto sector has been going through a lull phase since the beginning of the year and it wasn't until the festive season last month that carmakers saw the stocks moving once again. Almost every auto segment including hatchbacks, sedans and in-vogue SUVs failed to perform, even though we did see some growth spurt amidst new launches. However, according to the data released by Jato Dynamics India, it was the Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV) segment that managed to sail against the tide and record growth between April and September FY2019-20.
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F1: Lewis Hamilton Bags Sixth Formula 1 World Championship As Bottas Wins US GP
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton claimed his sixth Formula 1 world championship title as he finished the United States Grand Prix in second place, behind teammate Valtteri Bottas. The Mercedes drivers were in a title fight at the start of the US GP, and Hamilton would have to finish ninth or below to keep the title fight alive in the next round. However, a strong start from Hamilton coupled with a one-stop strategy put him in the top contention for the race win. But Bottas caught up in the final stages to take the win at the Circuit of the Americas. Coming in third was Max Verstappen in what was a dramatic race for the Red Bull driver.
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MotoGP: Vinales Dominates Malaysian GP To Victory; Marquez Finished Second
It was redemption day for Yamaha's Maverick Vinales, who converted a fantastic start into a much-awaited win in the 2019 MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix. The factory Yamaha rider had fallen from the lead on the final lap in the Australian GP but the top spot eluded him for only one week. Vinales' fantastic run made for a spectacle on the Sepang circuit, only to be followed by Honda's Marc Marquez finishing in second place, after starting 11th on the grid after a crash on Saturday. Meanwhile, Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso came in third in the penultimate race of the season.
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Mercedes-Benz V-Class Elite India Launch Details Out
Mercedes-Benz India is all set to introduce a new variant to the V-Class family. The luxury MPV will get the new Mercedes-Benz V-Class Elite trim added to its line-up with the launch scheduled on November 7, 2019. The new variant is expected to be based on the facelifted V-Class that was introduced internationally earlier this year, just weeks after the pre-facelift V-Class went on sale in the country. The V-Class Elite is likely to be the new top-of-the-line trim offered in the long-wheelbase guise and could be joined with the extra-long wheelbase version at the time of launch.
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Ola To Waive Off Peak Pricing In Delhi To Support Odd-Even Scheme
Extending its support to the government's initiative to curb air pollution in Delhi-NCR, cab hailing firm Ola has announced that the company will not charge peak pricing during the period of the Odd-Even scheme in Delhi between November 4-15, 2019. The company said that it will closely work with its driver partners to ensure maximum availability of vehicles during peak hours as well as during the staggered timings identified by the government to serve additional demand. Ola says using its cab hailing service will help ensure the successful implementation of the Odd-Even scheme and reduce the number of private vehicles on the road of the National Capital.
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Car Sales October 2019: Volkswagen Polo & Vento Register 19% Growth
Volkswagen India managed to buck the trend with its volume models - the Polo and the Vento registering a 19 per cent growth in October this year. While the auto industry has been on the road to recovery, sales reports continue to remain lower than expectations. However, the arrival of the festive season including Navratri, Dussehra and Diwali last month, expedited purchase decision for several buyers, helping carmakers post a positive growth. Volkswagen sold 3213 units of the Polo and the Vento in October 2019, as opposed to 3191 units that were sold during the same month last year. It is to be noted that the month October 2018 was a non-festive month last year.
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F1: 2021 Car Revealed; FIA Presents Regulations For New Formula 1 Era
Formula One fans have had a long wait to witness the all-new car. While we did get a preview in a simulation earlier this year, here's the first proper appearance of the 2021 F1 car that promises a new era for racing along with a change in the regulations of the sport, which will reshape Grand Prix racing as we know it. The new F1 car and the new regulations have been developed after a period of two years of work that involved both analyses of both on and off-track operations, the FIA and the F1. The new regulations promise to promote closer racing and more balanced competition, something that eludes the circuits at present. It also aims to bring more sustainability to the sport, according to the promoters.
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Okinawa Lite Electric Scooter Spied For The First Time
The Okinawa Lite is expected to be a new entry-level offering from the company that will sport a quirky design language.
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FCA-Peugeot Officially Announce 50:50 Merger; To Become World's 4th Largest Automaker
Amidst a number of rumours and speculations, Groupe PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Group have officially announced that the automotive giants will be entering into a 50:50 merger under a Dutch parent company. The boards of both companies have given the nod to the collaboration and the companies will be working to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding in the coming weeks. The power move is a giant leap for the automakers with the merger creating - FCA-Peugeot - as the world's fourth-largest automaker with over 8.7 million cars sold annually. The new group will be headed by Group PSA CEO - Carlos Tavares, while FCA's top boss John Elkann will serve as the chairman. There will be eleven members on the board of the group with five members nominated by either company respectively.
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2019 Hyundai i20 Active Launched In India; Priced At Rs. 7.74 Lakh
Hyundai Motor India has silently updated the i20 Active for the 2019 model year and the model is available in the market with prices starting at Rs. 7.74 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The 2019 Hyundai i20 Active is listed on the automaker's website and is offered in three variants - S, SX and the SX dual-tone, and is available with both petrol and diesel engine options. The new prices see a marginal increase of about Rs. 2000 over the older i20 Active and the model gets new safety systems to meet the now mandatory safety norms including reverse parking sensors, reverse camera, speed alert system, driver and passenger seatbelt reminder and more, as part of the standard kit.
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Yamaha Lifetime Quality Care Program Announced To Improve Ownership Experience
Yamaha Motor India has announced its new 'Yamaha Lifetime Quality Care' initiative, in a bid to improve the ownership experience for its customers. The new program is part of the brand's Call of the Blue Season 2 campaign and extends to both new and existing customers across the country. The Yamaha Lifetime Quality Care program brings a one-stop maintenance solution for owners that includes a 90-minute service time per vehicle for a more hassle-free experience. The initiative is aimed to reduce the turnaround time of servicing a vehicle, at the hands of trained Yamaha technicians.
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Shahan Ali Mohsin Impresses All In 2019 Rotax Grand Final Seniors In Italy
Agra-based racer Shahan Ali Mohsin made quite the impression representing India at the 2019 Rotax Grand Final in Sarno, Italy over the last weekend. The younger karting champion was competing in the Senior category in the week-long competition and was India's entry into the final round, after winning the 2019 Indian National Karting Championship. The competition saw 76 racers from across the globe participating in the senior category, where Shahan qualified in the Top 10, becoming the first Indian do so in the Rotax Grand Final. The 15-year-old was racing with Dan Holland Racing from England, qualifying 10th overall and finishing sixth in his group. However, the driver did miss out on the finals due to two retirements costing him in overall points in the competition.
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Mini Countryman Black Edition Launched In India; Priced At Rs. 42.40 Lakh
Keeping up with the auspicious festive period in the country, MINI India has introduced a new limited-edition offering for the Countryman. The new Mini Countryman Black Edition is priced at Rs. 42.40 lakh (ex-showroom) and is limited to just 24 units for the Indian market. The Countryman Black Edition is based on the Cooper S John Cooper Works (JCW) inspired variant and is priced at a premium of Rs. 1 lakh over the standard model. The new limited edition model, as the name suggests, increases the stealth quotient on the British SUV and gets several cosmetic upgrades.
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Mahindra Two-Wheelers Acquires 100 Per Cent Stake In Peugeot Motorcycles
Mahindra Two Wheelers Europe recently announced that the company will acquire 100 per cent ownership in the French two-wheeler maker Peugeot Motorcycles (PMTC). The Mahindra & Mahindra subsidiary originally acquired 51 per cent equity stake in Peugeot Motorcycles in January 2015 and has now announced that it will be investing a further 15 million Pounds (around Rs. 110 crore) in the brand towards product development. The investment is "set to drive future growth for Peugeot Motorcycles in core European markets and expand into new geographies, including select Asian markets," the manufacturer said in a regulatory filing. The Indian automaker plans to introduce seven new products under PMTC between 2019 and 2021.
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Upcoming Toyota Raize Subcompact SUV Images Ahead Of Reveal
The first images of the Toyota Raize subcompact SUV have been leaked online, much before you were supposed to see it. The Raize is scheduled to make its global debut on November 5, 2019, in Japan and the sub 4-metre SUV shares its underpinnings with the Daihatsu Rocky small SUV that was revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show this month. Both models are based on the Daihatsu New Global Architecture (DNGA), a low-cost derivative of the Japanese auto giant's TNGA platform that underpins most of the brand's new vehicle range. The Toyota Raize will take on the Nissan Kicks, Hyundai Venue, Ford EcoSport, among others in global markets.
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Mahindra Delivers 13,500 Vehicles In A Single Day On Dhanteras
The Indian auto sector is finally showing signs of recovery with automakers reporting a favourable festive season on the occasion of Dhanteras. A number of carmakers made a record number of deliveries and joining this bandwagon is Mahindra, which reported deliveries of close to 13,500 units across the country on the festive day. The company added that the figure was substantially higher than the deliveries made last year on Dhanteras. The automaker joins the likes of Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, MG Motor and others that registered record delivery in a single day.
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