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
2020 Volvo XC40 Recharge Electric SUV Breaks Cover
After posting endless teasers, Volvo Cars has finally pulled the wraps off its first full-electric vehicle - the XC40 Recharge. The new all-electric SUV is the first model to appear in the brand's new Recharge car line concept and is based on the XC40 SUV. The 2020 Volvo XC40 Recharge Electric SUV holds a milestone for the brand, and will also be the first offering from the company to get the all-new infotainment system powered by Google's Android operating system. The new XC40 Recharge is the first of the new electric Volvos that will join the company's fleet as the automaker expects 50 per cent of its global sales coming from electric cars by 2025.
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Ola Cabs Announces Foray In Self-Drive Service With Ola Drive
App-based ride-hailing platform, Ola has announced the launch of the 'Ola Drive' car sharing service. The new service marks the brand's foray into the self-driven car rental industry, and enables the users to design their own package allowing control over the number of kilometres and hours as well as fuel inclusion into the package. The service, Ola says, will be highly customisable for users and the freedom will allow for savings up to 30 per cent compared to other service providers. The cab hailing service intends to host a fleet of 20,000 cars by 2020, which is 50 per cent more than the fleet size of the entire industry. The company currently has over 200 million subscribers, which makes Ola Drive the largest user base for a car sharing service in the country.
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Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV Launched In India; Priced At Rs. 1.50 Crore
Mercedes-Benz India has introduced the new G-Class SUV with the launch of the Mercedes-Benz G 350d, priced at Rs. 1.50 Crore (ex-showroom, India). The new Mercedes-Benz G 350d is the first non-AMG and diesel version of the G-Class to land on Indian shores.
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Bajaj Urbanite - What To Expect
Bajaj will officially reveal more about Urbanite and the brand's future on October 16, 2019, and here's what you can expect to be part of the announcements tomorrow.
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Ultraviolette Automotive F77 Electric Motorcycle Launch Details Out
Bangalore-based electric two-wheeler start-up, Ultraviolette Automotive will be introducing its first electric superbike very soon. The Ultraviolette F77 is scheduled to be launched on November 13, 2019, and just might be India's first high-performance electric motorcycle. The company says the e-bike is a high-end technology-oriented offering, developed ground up with principles in the aviation industry. The Ultraviolette F77 is expected to be priced around Rs. 2 lakh (ex-showroom), which puts in the hot entry-level performance motorcycle segment.
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BS6 Compliant Yamaha FZ, FZ-S Power Figures Leaked
Yamaha Motor India announced earlier this year that will roll-out the Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) compliant two-wheelers by November 2019, and now details have been leaked on the updated versions of the FZ and FZ-S motorcycles. The 2020 Yamaha FZ, FZ-S will soon meet the stringent emission norms and a leaked document suggests that the motorcycles will see a revision in power figures. The leaked image reveals that the technical specifications remain unchanged on the updated FZ and FZ-S FI models with power coming from the same 149 cc single-cylinder engine, but the unit will make only 12.2 bhp, instead of the current 13.1 bhp on offer. That said, power does arrive early at 7250 rpm, as opposed to 8000 rpm on the current model.
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Actor Rajkummar Rao Brings Home The Harley-Davidson Fat Bob
Actor Rajkummar Rao knows how to win you over with his effortless performances, and the string of hit movies to his name certainly stand testimony to that. While the actor has been often seen riding motorcycle on celluloid, more often than not with two more characters on the astride (which is illegal), you could soon spot around Mumbai riding his newest Harley. The 'Trapped' actor recently brought home the Harley-Davidson Fat Bob, which is priced from Rs. 14.69 lakh (ex-showroom). The new Fat Bob was introduced in India in 2017 and is now part of the Softail family, as opposed to the Dyna family that the previous generation version was. Rao's brought the 2019 Harley-Davidson Bob to his garage.
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Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Tour M With 1.5-Litre Diesel Launched For Fleet Buyers; Priced At Rs. 9.81 Lakh
Maruti Suzuki has silently rolled out a new cab variant of the Ertiga MPV in its line-up. The new Maruti Suzuki Tour M diesel is based on the Ertiga and gets the new 1.5-litre oil burner, priced at Rs. 9.81 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). The new version is specifically targeted fleet operators and joins the Tour M petrol and CNG versions that were launched earlier this year. The new Maruti Tour M diesel gets the automaker's in-house developed 1.5-litre four-cylinder, DDiS motor that develops 94 bhp and 225 Nm of peak torque, while paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The fleet version claims an ARAI certified fuel efficiency of 24.2 kmpl.
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Ratan Tata To Invest In Pune-Based Electric Two-Wheeler Start-up Tork Motors
Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, Ratan Tata will be investing an undisclosed amount in Pune-based electric two-wheeler start-up Tork Motors. The announcement comes just ahead of the commercial launch of the Tork T6X electric motorcycle, which has been under development for quite a while. Ratan Tata joins a number of other big-ticket investors of Tork, which has previously raised funds from Bharat Forge and Ola Cabs founder Bhavish Aggarwal. The start-up is known for its indigenously developed electric vehicles, with the brand having showcased its capabilities in racing.
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HP Fastlane RFID-Based Fuel Payment Solution Expands Operations To Pune
India's first Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) fuel payment solution, HP Fastlane has expanded its operations to Pune, having established presence in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane regions in Maharashtra. The initiative has been made in collaboration of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and AGS Transact Technologies Limited (AGSTTL), wherein the app-based payment solution uses RFID technology to deliver cashless payment options for better fuel management. HPCL is currently offering the Fastlane payment option at over 120 outlets in Mumbai and Pune, with the app receiving over 60,000 downloads since June 2019, across both Android and iOS platforms.
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Hero MotoCorp To Miss 2020 Auto Expo
The 2020 Auto Expo is just months away and will open its doors to the masses on February 7, up to February 12, 2020. It is the largest biennial event to take place in India and has seen most major Indian automakers participating, showcasing the top products, concepts and technologies. However, with the auto sector going through a massive economic crisis, most Indian manufacturers are shying away from the New Delhi Auto Expo and the latest one to join this list is Hero MotoCorp. The world's largest two-wheeler maker has announced that it will skip the event, as per the company's regulatory filing.
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F1: Mercedes Bags Constructors' Championship For 2019 As Bottas Wins Japanese GP
Mercedes-AMG F1 team has bagged its sixth consecutive constructors' championship as driver Valtteri Bottas won the high-octane Japanese Grand Prix. The weekend certainly saw its fair share of drama much before the lights turned green with Typhoon Hagibis, which pushed qualifying to Sunday. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel qualified on pole, followed by teammate Charles Leclerc and Bottas in third place. The Mercedes driver had a strong start catapulting him to P1 on the opening lap, which was followed by Vettel and Lewis Hamilton finishing on the podium.
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Isuzu Inaugurates New Lifestyle Showroom In Mumbai
Japanese automaker Isuzu Motors recently inaugurated its new brand showroom in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The new Isuzu Cafe, as the company calls it, is located in the upscale neighbourhood of Nariman Point and depicts the "celebration of a lifestyle that encapsulates travel, adventure and exploration." The Isuzu V-Cross pick-up and the MU-X SUV identify with these qualities as rugged offerings that can take on the terrain off the tarmac. The new showroom has been built in a partnership between Isuzu India and speciality coffee company, Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters.
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MG Motor Inaugurates Second Flagship Experience Store In India
MG Motor India inaugurated its new flagship experience store in the country, located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. This is the company's second flagship experience store after the first one was introduced in Delhi-NCR earlier this year. The new showroom is located in South Mumbai's upscale Prabhadevi area and is spread across 4000 sq.ft. The experience stores promise an "emotional dynamism" according to the company. With the newest store, Morris Garages now has a total of six centres in Mumbai. The brand currently operates out of a network of 120 centres pan India and aims to boost its presence to 250 centres by the end of 2019.
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2020 Volkswagen Golf Officially Previewed Ahead Of Unveil This Month
The eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf will make its global debut later this month on October 24, 2019, and ahead of the unveiling, the automaker has dropped an official preview of its popular hatchback giving a detailed look at the upcoming model. The new set of sketches and a camouflaged test mule give us the clearest look yet on the 2020 Volkswagen Golf Mk VIII and the model certainly looks sharply dressed, especially with the headlight design at the front. The sleek styling is also a reminder of the XL1 concept that was showcased a couple of years ago as a fuel-efficient study. Volkswagen says the new generation Golf will be more dynamic than ever before and the model does look like a big step up from the current-generation version.
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Jawa 90th Anniversary Edition Launched In India; Priced At Rs. 1.73 Lakh
Classic Legends-owned Jawa Motorcycles has launched the Jawa 90th Anniversary Edition in India priced at Rs. 1.73 lakh (ex-showroom), to mark the 90the year of the brand. The motorcycle maker traces its roots to the erstwhile Czechoslovakia where founder Frantisek Janecek founded the brand in 1929 and produced its first motorcycle - the Jawa 500 OHV. The new anniversary edition pays homage to Jawa's first motorcycle and will be carrying the same livery. The Jawa 90th Anniversary Edition will also be available for immediate deliveries, albeit limited in volumes to just 90 units.
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Volvo XC40 Electric To Get All-New Infotainment System With Built-In Android OS
Volvo Cars has been teasing the all-electric version of the XC40 SUV for a while now and the automaker has now dropped a new detail about the model that will be unveiled on October 16, 2019. The Volvo XC40 Electric will get an Android-based operating system for the new infotainment unit that is officially known as the 'Android Automotive OS' and has been specially developed for cars. The OS is a result of Volvo's parent company Geely's partnership with Google announced in May 2017, which makes the Swedish carmaker the first company to team with the tech giant for a completely integrated infotainment system inclusive of Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play Store built-in.
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X1 Racing League Announces Calendar For Season 1, Reveals Teams, Drivers & Tracks
The first-of-its-kind multi-city motorsport championship in India, the X1 Racing League announced its calendar for the opening season that will kick-off from November 30, 2019. The first season will have races spread over two weekends at the Buddh International Circuit and the Madras Motor Race Track (MMRT), while the eSports initiative kicks-off tomorrow, on October 10, 2019, from Mumbai and will see the brand commence its virtual racing programme for the masses. In addition to revealing its complete calendar for Season 1, X1 Racing League also announced the six teams, owners, and the drivers that will be a part of the campaign. X1 is backed by JK Tyres Motorsport, OnePlus, Sony Playstation and more.
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Mercedes-Benz India Delivers Over 200 Cars On Dussehra & Navratri
Mercedes-Benz India delivered a record 200+ cars to customers on the occasion of Dussehra and Navratri. The German automaker's deliveries for the festive season surpassed those of last year with a concentrated customer base from Mumbai and Gujarat state. The highest deliveries of over 125 vehicles were registered in Mumbai itself, while 74 car deliveries were registered in Gujarat, according to the carmaker. The customer profile comprised doctors, chartered accountants, lawyers and business professionals, said the company.
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Government Issues Revised Guidelines For Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
The Ministry of New and Renewable Resources RK Singh has approved the revised set of guidelines with regard to electric vehicle charging in India. The Union Minister said that the revised guidelines will address the concerns of EV owners and are aimed to encourage developing an ecosystem for charging EVs in a phased manner. The new guidelines replace the ones that were first issued in December last year and were made taking into consideration suggestions from the industry and EV charging manufacturers. The amendments suggest that there needs to be at least one charging station for every three sq.km. in cities, one station for every 25 km on both sides of the roads and highways.
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