Benchmarking

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 above case we understood the requirements and budget range of Mr D.S. Pughazhyendhii, we will find and suggest the best-suited vehicle for him by benchmarking the available cars in the current market.

"Understanding Benchmarking"

BENCHMARKING: Benchmarking is used by businesses to compare the key metrics of their operations to those of other companies and remain competitive in the market. 

In the Automobile industry benchmarking is a structured comparison between similar products, services or processes on some dimensions of performance of cars with features, specifications etc. For example, it can be used to compare the availability delivery of features in a product and in this form often provides the basis of 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. It is particularly useful when comparing not only performance but also practice.

Process benchmarking of this king 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 competing manufacturers and marketplaces.
• Between different sectors using the same process.

There are two types of benchmarking:

Benchmarking I:

It involves product level comparison and analysis of vehicle safety comfort, engine efficiency and performance.

Benchmarking II:

It involves part level comparison focusing on specific BIW components like fender, hood, B Pillar, roof etc. and analyzing various properties such as material type, thickness, no of parts and overall weight.

Let us sort out the requirements of Mr D. S. Pughazhyendhii

1. His family comprises five members including his wife, 5year old kid, his father & mother.
2. He visits his native place Madurai which is 500 kms away from Bangalore once in a month
3. He lives in Bangalore city which is highly crowded and commutes to his office daily
4. The budget is between 8 to 10 lacs on-road price.
5. He is fond of big cars

which seems he required a vehicle with following

• 5-7 seater with comfortable seating
• Long-range drive performance
• Speed and Efficient
• Enough Boot space for Luggage
• Enough Rear Legroom space
• As he commutes in Bangalore which is heavily crowded and roads with congested traffic Automatic Gear Transmission is best suited and also keeping in mind Fuel Economy is also a key factor to save fuel costs. But Automatic Gear Transmission is expensive and Fuel consuming. But let us consider in requirements

• *As Indian roads are not that good and vehicles with good ground clearance would be the best option and he is also fond of big cars Compact SUVs are best suited within his budget range currently available in market

If a person wants to buy a hatchback car, the available Hatchbacks in the market will be compared to features, specifications, comfort, mileage, engine power etc. in the available price range.

Similar way now we will compare 4 Compact SUV vehicles

Note: Below data is referenced from www.carwale.com

	MAKE	KIA	Hyundai	Tata	Renault
	MODEL VARIANT	Sonet HTK 1.2	Venue S 1.2	Nexon XE	Kiger RXT (O) AMT
Fuel	Fuel type	Petrol	Petrol	Petrol	Petrol
	ARAI Mileage (km/l)	18.4	17.52	17.57	19.03
	Fuel Tank Capacity (litres)	45	45	44	40
Engine	Engine size (cc)	1197	1197	1199	999
	Drive Range (km)	828	788	773	761
	power (bhp) / RPM	82 / 6000	82 / 6000	118 / 5500	71 / 6250
	Engine	4 cylinders inline, 4 valves/cylinders, DOHC	4 cylinders inline, 4 valves/cylinders, DOHC	3 cylinders inline, 2 valves/cylinders, SOHC	3 cylinders inline, 4 valves/cylinders, DOHC
	Type	Smartstream G 1.2	1.2L KAPPA	1.2L Turbocharged Revotron	1.0L Energy
Transmission	Transmission	Manual	Manual	Manual (sport mode)	Automatic (AMT)
	No.of Gears	5	5	6	5
Safety	Safety Rating	Not Tested	Not Tested	5-star (Global NCAP)	4-star (ASEAN NCAP)
	No. of Airbags	4	2	2	4
Dimensions	Ground Clearance (mm)	205	195	209	205
	Length	3995	3995	3993	3991
	Width	1790	1770	1811	1750
	Height	1625	1605	1606	1605
	Boot Capacity (litres)	392	350	350	405
	No. of seats	5	5	5	5
Price (in lacs)	On Road Price (Bangalore)	9.8	9.65	9.22	9.77

 KIA SONET HTK 1.2 :

The KIA Sonet comes with an exceptionally rich package that caters to everything from style to performance. It comes with Connected Car Technology powered by the latest evolution of KIA connect, it offers 58 smart ways of staying connected, making it the brainiest of all SUVs.

Kia connects advanced technology including AI Voice Command, Voice-assisted Sunroof Control, and OTA map updates, making the driving experience safe, convenient and enjoyable.

The Electronic Stability Control(ESC), Hill Assist Control(HAC), Vehicle Stability Management(VSM), Break-Force Assist System(BFA) along with the Anti-Lock Brake System(ABS) and Electronic Break-Force System(EBF) of Sonet ensure excellent braking performance and maximized safety.

Kia Sonet offers a large boot space of 392 litres, which is quite massive when compared to its competitors. It has a good amount of head and leg space.

Good things:

• Flamboyant styling - Great concoction of modern/youthful looks with a rugged stance
• Refined motors/gearboxes - Peppy/smooth performance, good refinement, frugal
• Easy to Drive - Compact size, steering that's light with reasonable feedback
• Good Quality - Quality and fit/finish are on par with segment expectations

Cons: 

• Firm ride quality - Never feels settled, bounces at high speeds under full load
• Rear seat space - The rear bench is a squeeze for anything more than two adults
• Rear visibility - Is hampered by the chunky C-pillars and compact rear windscreen

Technology	2/3 structure made with HighStrenth Steel ensuring strong frame & safety
Parking sensors	4 Airbags

 

HYUNDAI VENUE S1.2

Hyundai venue is a subcompact crossover SUV. The Venue is powered by a 1.2-litre 4-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine that produces 82 bhp / 6000 RPM & 115 N-m torque. 

It comes with sunroof, 60-40 rear split seats, good leg room & headroom space. It has a boot capacity of 350 litres.

Pros: 

• Solid road presence - A strong shoulder line, flashy grille and the large wheels
• Feature loaded - Top trims get lots of modern equipment/extravagant music player
• Quality interiors - Good Quality with appreciable fir/finish, favourable ergonomics
• Modern powertrains - the line-up consists of ultra-refined and efficient engines

Cons:

• Rear seat space - It isn't airy, seating three on the bench is a tight affair
• Firm ride quality - Road irregularities are noticeably felt, bounces at higher speed
• Costly top trims - For the money, one can opt for a lower variant on the Creta

TATA NEXON XE

The trendsetter from the TATA stable, TATA Nexon is the first Indian car to score a 5-star Global NCAP safety rating. with its captivating appearance and one of the class-leading comforts, Tata Nexon is the only car in its segment to offer a turbocharged engine from its base variant onwards. Powering the Nexon is a 1.2L turbocharged petrol engine and 1.5L turbocharged diesel engine that transmit their power through either a 5-speed MT, 6-speed MT or AMT

Features:

LED DRLs, Multi Drive Models Eco/City/Sport, Dual airbags, LED tail lamps, front power windows, ABS with EBD, projector headlamps, Tilt steering

Pros: 

• Upmarket looks, 5-star G-NCAP safety ranking
• Spacious cabin compared to rivals
• Easy to drive and live with

Cons:

• Interior Quality could be better
• Low-end grunt from motors
• Infotainment screen not good with competing models
• Mileage is backlog

Rear Row & Front Seats	Sunroof
Boot space	Mode control

     

     

RENAULT KIGER RXT(O) AMT

Renault Kiger RXT(O) AMT is a 5-seater Mid petrol variant with AMT transmission. Kiger RXT AMT has a 999 CC which produces a 71 bhp@6250 rpm power and 96 Nm@3500 rpm which is quite good enough for a family. It is available in 10 different colours.

Kiger RXT AMT has a boot space of 405 litres which is large in this segment. It looks sporty and stylish. It is like a middle-class luxury car. It is an NCEAP 4-star rated vehicle with 4 airbags.

With an automatic transmission, it feels easy to drive in city traffic. It has a touch screen display and connects to android and apple car play.

Pros:

• Sprightly performance
• Feature-packed cabin
• Good-looking, affordable SUV

Cons:

• Tight for three adults in the second row
• The boot has a high-loading lip
• Cost-cutting is evident
• Due to 3 cylindered engine, some vibrations are there in the cabin also

    

     

     

CONCLUSION:

From the above studies & compared data, TATA Nexon is the best in the class vehicle compared to engine performance and safety rating with other competitive vehicles, but interior and infotainment system could be better & petrol variant lags of mileage. If Mr. D. S. Pughazhyendhii can increase his budget I would recommend TATA Nexon Diesel Variant priced at 10.5 lacs on road which suits best.

But considering his budget & parameters like Safety, transmission and ARAI mileage the best-suited vehicle for Mr D. S. Pughazhyendhii and his family which comprises his wife, 5-year-old kid, his father & his mother is  KIGER RXT(O) AMT