Benchmarking
Benchmarking
Benchmarking is the practice in which processes or performances are compared either with the standards available, the very best standards or even with the standards offered by competitors. It is a very useful tool when it comes to either producing a new product/commodity or improving on an already existing one. The standards are usually time, quality and cost. Benchmarking is like an indicator, which shows how good your product or process is with respect to the competition in the market or with your existing products, and how much improvement can be made to it so that it justifies the time and effort put into the production process.
When it comes to autmobiles, benchmarking can be done on numerous aspects of the vehicle, such as vehicle dimensions(height, width, length, tyre diameter, rims etc.), safety features( provision of airbags, crash testing of the vehicle from different angles etc.), manufacturing (quality of materials used, weight of the vehicle) and so on. It is important for the manufacturer to benchmark their vehicles, so that they can understand their own position, as well as their competitors', when it comes to the various aspects as mentioned previously. The market is fast paced and new car models are introduced in every segment each year, better than the models before it. Benchmarking can prove very useful in predicting future trends till a certain degree and hence stay ahead of competition.
Benchmarking cars for the above case:
For the case above, I have chosen 6 cars, 3 from the subcompact SUV segment(<4m), and 3 from the sedan/hatchback segment. All these cars are petrol and fall within the 8 to 10 lakh range specified above.
1) Sedan/Hatchback Segment:
The advantage of considering a vehicle in this segment is that you can purchase the highest end model for each of the cars for 8 to 10 lakhs. So the following vehicles considered the are the best variant of the model for the petrol version. All the prices are for Bengaluru Ex showroom, July 2020.
Hyundai Elite i20: 8.3 Lakh
Maruti Suzuki Dzire: 8.8 Lakh
Tata Altroz: 7.96 Lakh
We can see that by performance, the 3 cars are almost identical to each other. The Dzire is available in automatic transmission, which makes driving easy in heavy and slow traffic.
When it comes to mileage, the Dzire leads with 20.12 kmpl, then the Altroz with 19.5 kmpl and i20 with the 18.6 kmpl. This is beneficial for long distance travel. Also the Dzire has a lower curb weight than the other two cars as well.
The image above shows the seating capacity for all the cars, which is same. The Dzire also has more boot space owning to the sedan format of the car. The Dzire also has the least turning radius of 4.8 m (compared to 5 m of the i20 and 5.2 of the altroz), which is benefitial for tight corners.
But when it comes to safety rating, according to the Global New Car Assesment Program, the Altroz is rated 5 star, with the other two being rated 3 star.
In conclusion, the Swift Dzire is a good choice for a 5 seater car, with extra boot space and compact size. It is also best in mileage. The Altroz is the best when it comes to safety, as well as modern features such as better suspension, since it is the newest one released. The Altroz is also the cheapest among the three.
2) Subcompact SUV segment
The subcompact SUV segment is a new and very popular segment in India, where the cars are less than 4 metres in length, but have features comparable of high end SUVs. They range from 6- 15 Lakhs Ex showroom. This segment gives the flexibility of owning a large vehicle for reasonable prices.
In the subcompact segment, all the top end versions of the models are priced beyond 10 lakhs, so the petrol variants just below 10 lakhs are considered. The 3 models considered are:
Hyundai Venue: 9.94 Lakh
Maruti Vitara Brezza: 9.98 Lakh
Tata Nexon: 9.7 Lakh
Despite being the costliest and having the largest displacement engine, the Brezza produces less power and torque than the other two, which is this vehicle's primary weakness. It also has 5 speed manual gearbox compared to the 6 speed on the others, and its mileage is also on the lower side. But it offers more colour variants.
The Brezza also suffers from a small boot space. The Brezza is comparitively larger too. The Nexon does not include cruise control, which is an inconvenience on highways, where the driver will have to keep his foot on the pedal the whole time to drive, which can be tiring. In general, the Nexon is more advanced in when it comes to build components such as advanced suspension, just like the Altroz.
The Brezza offers the best interior customisation compared to the other two.
When it comes to general safety, the Nexon seems to be performing slightly better than the Brezza, and the Venue has the least safety features.
It must also be noted that Nexon is the highest rated car in India when it comes to global NCAP ratings (5 stars and 16.06 out of 17 points). The other two scored 4 stars.
Conclusion: The Swift Dzire is the best car to consider if the size of the car does not matter. It is a good compact car that can seat 5 passengers easily. The highest end model falls well within the budget. The car also has good mileage and boot space. The automatic transmission option is great for driving in heavy traffic. The Altroz can also be considered since it is the latest one to be released and also the cheapest. It is the best one to buy if safety is your primary concern.
But if you need a large vehicle for this price range, the subcompact SUV segment is the way to go, even if you will not get the top variant. The Nexon is a great choice for the price range, with low cost and high safety standards. It also provides decent interior customization. The Brezza is good if customization for both interiors and exteriors is your main criteria, which is the best in its class. But it lacks in everyday performance.