Benchmarking

BENCHMARKING CASE STUDY:

CASE:

Mr. D.S. Pughazhyendhii is a married man who 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. Also, he will be using his car to commute to his office. His budget falls between 8 to 10 lakhs on road. Please suggest to him options so that he will buy a good car for his family.

Note: Pughazhyendhii is fond of big cars.

From the case details provided, Key things to be noted are

1. Pughazhyendhii lives in Bangalore one of the crowded cities in India So, is the traffic.
2. He needs a car for Daily commute and 500kms trip once a month.
3. Also, He is fond of big cars.

From the details provided we will do a benchmarking on current cars available in the market and suggest Pughazhyendhii with the best option for him.

BENCHMARKING:

Basically, Benchmarking is a process of comparing data. The data involves physical properties such as measurements and material quality, Services provided, Performance data. So, all data available are compared to derive one better solution.

This process helps to understand what is the customer requirement based on current market. Helps to know the demands, what other manufacturers offer. Their features, how to tackle the customer needs and challenge the competitor. Both in terms of pricing and Quality.

It differs according to industry. In automobile industries key parameters compared are Dimension based on segment, Powertrain, Transmission, Mileage, Seating capacity, weight, Interior/Exterior design, Boot space, Safety features and price.

Let’s compare some cars available in the market to find a suitable car for Pughazhyendhii.

Finding suitable Body type:

As mentioned, the case Pughazhyendhii likes big cars. And the Budget is 8-10 lakh.

Based on this, we can eliminate Hatchback, Crossover because they small cars. Then we can eliminate SUV’s, MUV’s and MPV’s because they don’t come under price range. So that leaves us with ‘Compact SUV’.

Compact SUV – It fits under the price bracket; it is sub 4 – meter version of the SUV. So it has the looks, High driver seating position like the suv, All around visibility and high ground clearance.

Finding suitable Power Train:

Since, Pughazhyendhii is going to use this as a daily commute and Long drive once a month. Also, Diesel engine are expensive in this price range. We can choose Petrol powertrain. It is refined than Diesel engines in this price range, their maintenance cost is less. It is suitable for daily commute in bumper to bumper traffic.

Finding a suitable Transmission:

Traffic in Bangalore is huge, it is so hard to reach any destination in Peek hours. So, using a manual transmission in this type of traffic is hectic for any driver. Even the lighter clutch cause discomfort in the Traffic. So Automatic is the only option.

Available options in the Market:

Compact SUV’s available in this price range are;

1. Tata Punch
2. Kia Sonet
3. Renault Kiger
4. Nissan Magnite
5. Hyundai Venue
6. Suzuki Brezza

Both Venue and Sonet are more than 11 lakh ex showroom, So we can eliminate these two options.

Now we have 4 options left. Since the price bracket is 8-10 lakh. We will considering Mid Variant of all the cars.

1. Tata Punch - Adventure AMT Rhythm

One of the best-selling Compact SUV since launch, 5-star safety rated. Powering the Punch is a 1.2L petrol engine that transmit their power through either a 6-speed AMT is smooth as well as responsive when required. Offers multiple Drive modes. Tall car offers good visibility of the road. Roomy cabin, large windows give airy feel. 90 degree Door open angle gives good ingress for the car. Good for family of 5.

Pros:

1. Good Road Presence – Strong Shoulder line, Tall bonnet and large wheel arches.
2. Feature loaded in this price range – Only car to have premium sound system and Rear-view camera in the price point. Offers Apple carplay and Android Auto.
3. Will built exterior and Interior. Meets latest market trend.
4. Only car to offer 5-star Global NCAP safety rating.
5. Tata’s wide service network.
6. Lesser Maintenance cost.
7. Flat floor for middle rear passemger.

Cons:

1. Rear Ac vents is a miss.
2. 40mm Less wheel base than Competition.
3. Slightly lesser boot space and leg room compared to Kiger.

2. Nissan Magnite - Turbo CVT XL

It offers 1 litre turbo charged Engine. This is the only car with CVT transmission offered in this segment. Class leading Torque figures at 152Nm@ 2200rpm. Offering best performance in this segment. Well laid out cabin, looks modern.

Pros:

1. Large chrome garnished Grill gives large car feel.
2. Offers automatic climate control
3. 4- star ASEAN NCAP rating.
4. Automatic climate control.

Cons:

1. Doesn’t offer Touch screen infotainment, so is reverse camera.
2. Lowest mileage in the segment.
3. Stiffer ride is felt on bumpy roads.
4. Engine clatter is felt past 3000rpm.

3. Suzuki Brezza – VXI Auto

1.5L Engine which Powerful in the segment with Toque converter transmission. Only Car to offer Mild hybrid tech. It was the best selling Compact SUV in India. 4-star Global NCAP safety rating.

Pros:

1. Powerful engine with 103Hp with 138Nm Torque.
2. Offers Regenerative braking.
3. Automatic Climate Control.
4. Larger 205 section tyres with 16 Rims.
5. 4-star Global NCAP safety rating.
6. Maruti’s wide service network.

Cons:

1. Older design compared than other models. No improvements made to interior in face lift.
2. No Touch screen, apple carplay or Android auto, Rear view camera in offer.
3. Suzuki’s build quality is always questionable.
4. Cost of Base Automatic variant is way past 10 lakhs.
5. Most hard plastic in interior.

4. Renault Kiger – RXT AMT

Kiger – RXT AMT variant is offered with 1L petrol Engine which produce 71bhp@ 6250rpm and 96Nm @ 3500 rpm of torque. It offers larger boot space in the segment. Sporty and stylish look. Refreshing and modern Cabin. Available in 10 different colours.

Pros:

1. Most luxurious interior in segment.
2. Larger suv in segment in terms for Boot, Leg room and wheel base.
3. 4 Star (ASEAN NCAP) safety rating.

Cons:

1. Least powered car in segment.
2. Though it is larger in dimension, looks felt like crossover car.
3. No Touch screen, apple carplay or Android auto, Rear view camera in offer.

4. Renault service network is less Compared to others.
5. Maintenance cost increases in long Run.

Some of the common specs are compared below:

Basic Information	Punch - Adventure AMT Rhythm	Magnite - Turbo CVT XL	Brezza - Vxi AT	Kiger - RXT AMT
Brand Name	TATA	NISSAN	MARUTI SUZUKI	RENAULT
On Road Price	Rs.9,24,670*	Rs.10,69,065*	Rs.13,58,804#	Rs.9,67,421#
Engine and Transmission
Engine Type	1.2 l Revotron Engine	HRA0 1.0 TURBO PETROL	K15C Smart Hybrid	1.0L ENERGY
Displacement (cc)	1199	999	1462	999
No Of Cylinder	3	3	4	3
Max Power (bhp@rpm)	84.48bhp@6000rpm	98.63bhp@5000rpm	101.65bhp@6000rpm	71.01bhp@6250rpm
Max Torque (nm@rpm)	113Nm@3300+/-100rpm	152nm@2200-4400rpm	136.8nm@4400rpm	96nm@3500rpm
Transmission Type	Automatic	Automatic	Automatic	Automatic
Gear Box	5 Speed	CVT	6-Speed	5-Speed

Fuel & Performance
Fuel Type	Petrol	Petrol	Petrol	Petrol
Mileage (City)	14.42 kmpl	13.6 kmpl		15.0 kmpl
Mileage (ARAI)	18.82 kmpl	17.7 kmpl	19.8 kmpl	19.03 kmpl
Fuel Tank Capacity	37.0 (Litres)	40.0 (Litres)	48.0 (Litres)	40.0 (Litres)

Dimensions & Capacity
Length (mm)	3827	3994	3995	3991
Width (mm)	1742	1758	1790	1750
Height (mm)	1615	1572	1685	1605
Ground Clearance Laden (mm)	187	205	198	205
Wheel Base (mm)	2445	2500	2500	2500
Seating Capacity	5	5	5	5
Boot Space (Litres)	366	336	328	405
No. of Doors	5	5	5	5
Comfort & Convenience
Parking Sensors	Rear	Rear	Rear	Rear
Foldable Rear Seat	-	60:40 Split	Bench Folding	60:40 Split

Interior
Body Type	SUV	SUV	SUV	SUV
Tyre Size	185/70 R15	195/60R16	215/60 R16	195/60 R16
Tyre Type	Tubeless,Radial	Tubeless,Radial	Tubeless, Radial	Tubeless, Radial
Wheel Size	15	16	R16	R16

Safety
Anti Lock Braking System	YES	YES	YES	YES
Brake Assist	YES	YES	YES	YES
Central Locking	YES	YES	YES	YES
Power Door Locks	YES	YES	YES	YES
Entertainment & Communication
Touch Screen Size	7 Inch	-	7 Inch	8 Inch
Connectivity	Android Auto,Apple CarPlay	-	Android Auto,Apple CarPlay	-
Number Of Speaker	4	4	4	4
Additional Features	7" Infotainment Screen By Harman,2 Tweeters	2 Tweeters, USB - 2.4A Fast Charge with illumination	17.78cm Smartplay Studio Touch Screen,Remote Control App for Infotainment	-

* Spec Data Acquired from Carwale.com

Final Report:

To summarize our Benchmarking, Based on the above data. We can eliminate Magnite and Brezza since they don’t come under 10 lakh price bracket.

This leaves Punch and Kiger. Kiger is the least powered car. So, in highway travel engine will run of breath during sudden acceleration. Doesn’t offer highend infotainment system like Punch. Best of all, Punch has 5-star safety rating and cost 50 thousand lesser. It is a good value for money proposition. So, I suggest Tata Punch is the best pick for Pughazhyendhii.