Benchmarking
Benchmarking in the automobile industry
Benchmarking involves a structured comparison between similar products, services, or processes on some dimensions of performance. It can be used to compare the availability and delivery of features in a product and in this form often provides the basis for consumer tests and reviews. These look at products and services and provide recommendations based on which is best or some form of ranking amongst competitors.
Process benchmarking of this kind can operate at several levels:
• Between similar processes in the same factory or service branch
• Between different factories or service branches
• Between different competing organizations
• Between different sectors using the same process
The following requirements are to be considered for selecting Mr. D.S. Pughazhyendhii's car:
- He lives in Bangalore which is a highly crowded city
- His Family comprises five members including his wife, a five-year-old boy, his father, and his mother
- He visits his native place Madurai which is 500kms away from Bangalore once a month
- He will be using his car to commute to his office
- His budget falls between 8 to 10 lakhs on road
- He is fond of big cars
The following options are suggested to Mr. D.S. Pughazhyendhii:
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Kia Sonet HTE 1.2
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Nissan Magnite XV Red Edition
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Maruti Suzuki Brezza
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Tata Nexon XE
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Mahindra XUV300 W4 1.2 Petrol
1. Kia Sonet HTE 1.2
Kia Sonet HTE 1.2 is the petrol variant in the Kia Sonet lineup and is priced at ₹ 8.26 Lakh. It returns a certified mileage of 18.4 kmpl. This HTE 1.2 variant comes with an engine putting out 82 bhp @ 6000 rpm and 115 Nm @ 4200 rpm of max power and max torque respectively. Kia Sonet HTE 1.2 is available in Manual transmission and offered in 4 colors: Gravity Grey, Sparkling Silver, Intense Red, and Clear White.
Good Aspects:
Good Boot Space and Ground Clearance. Kia Sonet offers a boot space of 392 liters and a ground clearance of 205mm. Moreover, we get features like an electric sunroof, wireless charging with cooling, ventilated seats, smart air purifier, cruise control, multi-functional steering wheel, rear AC vents, BOSE sound system, and a lot more.
Bad Aspects:
Lack of Seating Space. The bump absorption in the Sonet is not that impressive and you have to get slow over sharp bumps. We do not get the option of 60:40 split rear seats, even in the top trims. Moreover, the steering adjustment is only limited to tilt - even the new i20 Magna offers both tilt & telescopic adjustment. Kia could have also added illuminated power window switches and paddle shifters in the auto trims but they didn't.
2. Nissan Magnite XV Red Edition
Nissan Magnite XV Red Edition is the petrol variant in the Nissan Magnite lineup and is priced at ₹ 9.10 Lakh. It returns a certified mileage of 18.7 kmpl. This XV Red Edition variant comes with an engine putting out 71 bhp @ 6250 rpm and 96 Nm @ 3500 rpm of max power and max torque respectively. Nissan Magnite XV Red Edition is available in Manual transmission and offered in 5 colors: Onyx Black, Sandstone Brown, Blade Silver, Flare Garnet Red, and Storm White.
Good Aspects:
The changes to the Magnite Red Edition are mainly cosmetic. Additionally, the Red Edition also gets body graphics, a tail-door garnish, and a prominent Red Edition badge. On the inside, Nissan is offering a dual-tone red and black dashboard, red accents on the door side armrest, and the center console. The Red Edition also gets additional equipment like wireless charging, ambient lighting, and illuminated door sills.
Bad Aspects:
Low mileage and low performance but really nice exterior looks and value for money. Suspension is hard for a city car. Only two airbags are available in the Magnite Red Edition.
3. Maruti Suzuki Brezza
The new Maruti Suzuki Brezza is powered by a 1.5-liter K12C petrol engine producing 103bhp and 138Nm of torque. This motor is paired with a six-speed manual and automatic units. The 2022 Maruti Brezza was launched in India on 30 June and is priced at ₹ 9.31 Lakh and offered in six colors including Pearl Arctic White, Splendid Silver, Magma Grey, Sizzling Red, Brave Khakhi, and Exuberant Blue.
Good Aspects:
Competent BS6 petrol with Smart Hybrid tech and excellent fuel efficiency. Now gets a sunroof, 360-degree camera, head-up display, rear A/C vents, wireless charging, ambient lighting, tilt & telescopic steering adjustment, connected car features, etc. The long feature list includes dual projector LED auto headlamps, LED DRLs & foglamps, auto-dimming IRVM, cruise control, and a 9-inch touchscreen HU paired with an Arkamys sound system. The safety kit includes 6 airbags, ESP, hill-hold assist, and ISOFIX. Built on the same platform as the outgoing car, which had received a 4-star GNCAP safety rating.
Bad Aspects:
No diesel option like its rivals! Petrol-only as of now. AT variants are priced higher than competitor turbo-petrol with more advanced transmissions and it commands a stiff Rs. 1.5 lakh ex-showroom premium. Interior quality and fit & finish are underwhelming for the price. Short gearing of the 5-speed MT and lack of 6th cog results in an unusually busy engine at 100-120 km/h. Some missing features like ventilated seats, leather upholstery, TPMS, drive modes, auto wipers, and front parking sensors.
4. Tata Nexon XE
The 1.2-liter turbocharged petrol engine generates 118bhp at 5,500rpm and 170Nm of torque at 1,750rpm. On the other hand, the 1.5-liter diesel engine produces 108bhp at 4,000rpm and 260Nm of torque at 1,500rpm. The compact SUV gets a new steering wheel featuring a smaller horn pad with premium-looking multimedia and cruise control buttons. The Nexon is priced at ₹ 8.86 Lakh and is available in six color options which include Foliage Green, Flame Red, Pure Silver, Daytona Grey, Calgary White, and Atlas Black.
Good Aspects:
The manufacturer has tuned its suspension to take on our unpredictable road conditions without any hassle. Passengers will be most comfortable as the Nexon absorbs all thunks and thuds from potholes and broken roads, while also being stable over undulations. More importantly, it doesn't make you feel like you are driving a big SUV as minimal driver efforts are required. It's similar to what would be required to drive a hatchback. Gladly, the new one also continues to boast of a five-star NCAP safety rating ensuring owners and prospective buyers of a very safe car. This is backed up by a safety suite of dual-airbags, hill-hold assist, roll-over mitigation, ABS with EBD, traction control, and more.
Bad Aspects:
This up-rated turbocharged petrol motor is quite more powerful than the one in the older model. However, the jump from 109bhp to 118bhp isn't quite evident from the word go. The constant gear shifts and mashing the throttle pedal quite often to make progress will have a downtrend in fuel efficiency.
5. Mahindra XUV300 W4 1.2 Petrol
Mahindra XUV300 is priced at ₹ 9.84 Lakh and is available with a choice of two powertrains that include a 1.2-liter, three-cylinder, petrol engine, and a 1.5-liter, four-cylinder diesel engine. The former produces 109bhp and 200Nm of torque while the latter produces 115bhp and 300Nm of torque. Transmission options include a six-speed manual unit and an AMT unit. Safety features on the model include seven airbags, ABS with EBD, front and rear parking sensors, reverse parking camera, ESP with roll-over mitigation, cornering brake control, TPMS, all four disc brakes, seat-belt reminders, impact sensing auto door unlock, and speed sensing auto door lock.
Good Aspects:
Apart from roomy and comfy seats, there’s good head and knee room, you get storage and cup and bottle holders all around. And you also get a central armrest with storage for both the front and rear passengers. Be it driving in the city or cruising on the highway, the diesel with its 6-speed manual gearbox is a good fit. And it’s efficient too. Four things define comfort over all else. Seating comfort, light driving controls, a pliant ride, and good visibility. Seven airbags, Stability Control, Traction control, Cornering Lights, ABS, and so on.
Bad Aspects:
The boot space on this car is tiny with the 65-liter suitcase, there’s barely space for a soft bag. This car does not have petrol automatic. Especially for petrol, which will extensively be used in crowded cities. No Rear AC Vents are available in this car.
Conclusion
By Comparing all the above cars such as Kia Sonet HTE 1.2, Nissan Magnite XV Red Edition, Maruti Suzuki Brezza Tata Nexon XE, Mahindra XUV300 W4 1.2 Petrol, I recommend Tata Nexon as it has a 5-star rating GNCAP, It has good mileage and it will be suited for Mr. Pugalendhi as he will be using the car for long driving and in the city as well. It also has a high spacious interior with a five-seater suitable for his family. The Boot space provided in Tata Nexon is really impressive and also it will be very useful for Mr. Pugalendhi and his family to load enough luggage when traveling to Madurai. And overall, Tata Nexon is the right suitable car for anyone whose budget is under 10lakhs.