Benchmarking

Case Study:

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, his five-year-old boy, his father, and his mother. He visits his native place Madurai which is 500 km 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 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 the 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	Benchmarking II
Involves product-level comparison and analysis of vehicle safety comfort, engine efficiency, and, performance.	Involves part 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 km from Bangalore once in a th.
3. He lives in Bangalore city which is highly crowded and commutes to his office daily.
4. 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 performance
• Speed and Efficient
• Enough Boot space for Luggage
• Enough Rear Legroom

As he commutes in Bangalore which is heavily crowded and roads with congested traffic Automatic Gear Transmission is best suited and keeping in mind Fuel Economy is also a 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 much and vehicles with good ground clearance would be the best option and he is also fond of big cars Compact SUV'SUVs 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:

1. Tata Altroz:

Market introduction:

The Tata Altroz was launched in India on 22 January 2020.

Variants:

The Altroz is available in 18 variants, including XE, XE+, XM+, XM+ DCA, XT, XT Dark, XT DCA, XT iTurbo, XT iTurbo Dark, XZ, XZ DCA, XZ iTurbo, XZ(O) iTurbo, XZ+, XZ+ Dark, XZ+ DCA, XZ+ iTurbo, XZ+ iTurbo Dark.

Tata Altroz Key Specifications

Price	₹ 7.69 Lakh onwards
Mileage	18.33 to 23 kmpl
Engine	1199 to 1497 cc
Safety	5 Star (Global NCAP)
Fuel Type	Petrol & Diesel
Transmission	Manual & Automatic (DCT)
Seating Capacity	5 Seater

CarWale's Take on Tata Altroz:

• Good Things

• Fantastic looks - This hatch gets sharp design lines along with a great stance
• Roomy cabin - Space on the inside is reasonably good with ample rear legroom
• Adequate performance - The powertrain options make driving this hatch relatively easy
• Driving manners - The light controls make easy work of driving in traffic/parking
• 5-star G-NCAP safety rating - Gives owners peace of mind in the ownership experience

• Could be Better

• Firm ride quality - Uneven roads/undulations make their presence felt at a slow speed
• Not quick enough for enthusiasts - The i-Turbo isn't as fun to drive as its rivals
• Misses some kit - Some variants of the Altroz miss out on certain feel-good features

Tata Altroz Key Features

• Electronic Stability Program (ESP)
• 8 Wa8-Wayustable Driver Seat
• Automatic Climate Control AC
• Cruise Control
• Active Cornering Headlights
• Automatic Head Lamps (Halogen Projector)
• LED DRLs (Daytime Running Lights)
• Ambient Interior Lighting
• Rain Sensing Wipers
• Reverse Camera
• Keyless Entry
• Engine Start/Stop Button
• Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel & Gear Knob
• Android Auto/Apple Car Play
• Telematics Functions
• Cooled Glove Box
• Touch Screen Display
• Rear Wiper & Defogger

2. Honda Amaze:

Honda Cars India has launched the facelifted Amaze in the country. The model is available in three variants including E, S, and VX, across five colors such as Platinum White Pearl, Lunar Silver Metallic, Golden Brown Metallic, Radiant Red, and a new MeteMetroidy Metallic color

Honda Amaze Key Specifications

Price	₹ 8.05 Lakh onwards
Mileage	18.3 to 24.7 kmpl
Engine	1199 to 1498 cc
Safety	4 Star (Global NCAP)
Fuel Type	Petrol & Diesel
Transmission	Manual & Automatic (CVT)
Seating Capacity	5 Seater

CarWale's Take on Honda Amaze

• Good Things

• Spacious interiors - Fairly roomy overall, the rear seat is quite comfortable
• Big boot - The 420 liters space can swallow up a family's holiday trip luggage
• Refined motors - Honda's renowned smooth/fuel-efficient motors with CVT convenience
• NCAP rating - The Amaze makes a strong case for itself with a four-star NCAP rating
• Ease of driving - Light controls, superior visibility an,d a comfortable ride

• Could be Better

• Fit/finish in some areas - Lower sections of the cabin aren't up to Honda standards
• Features for the price - At the price point, there are some features missing
• Rear headroom - Tall occupants may find the headroom restrictive at the rear

3. Hyundai Venue:

The Hyundai Venue was first introduced in June 2019 whereas the facelift version was launched on 16 June, 222.

Since its launch in 2019, Hyundai has never had trouble selling the Venue. This comprehensive mid-life update for the compact SUV then is a guarantee that it will not run out of steam till the end of its life cycle. It might not be the most dynamic car to drive among its rivals, but it gets the job done and has a wide appeal thanks to its diverse powertrain lineup and massive feature list.

Hyundai Venue Key Specifications

Price	₹ 9.18 Lakh onwards
Mileage	17.5 to 23.4 kmpl
Engine	998 to 1493 cc
Fuel Type	Petrol & Diesel
Transmission	Manual, Clutchless Manual (IMT) & Automatic (DCT)
Seating Capacity	5 Seater

CarWale's Take on Hyundai Venue

• Good Things:
• Interior quality - Segment standout quality, good fit/finish, sorted ergonomics
• Road presence - Edgy design with an attractive grille and fittingly huge wheels
• Powertrain options - There are refined and efficient petrol and diesel motors
• Choice of gearboxes - A variety of smooth transmissions that ease driving chores
• Equipment - The new Venue feels more modern due to the revised features and trim.
• Could be Better:
• Cramped rear seat - Does not feel airy, uncomfortable for three occupants
• Unsorted ride - Broken surfaces are felt within the cabin, band ounces at higher speeds
• Pricey top-end variants - One can upgrade to a lower-spec Creta instead

4. Tata Nexon:

The Tata Nexon is available in multiple variant options that include XE, XM, XM(S), XZ, XZ Plus, XZ Plus dual tone, XZ Plus (O), XZ Plus (O) dual tone, XZ Plus Dark Edition, and XZ Plus (O) Dark Edition.

The AMT variant options include XMA, XMA (S), XZA Plus, XZA Plus dual tone, XZA Plus Dark Edition, XZA Plus (S), XZA Plus dual-tone (S), XZA Plus (O), XZA Plus (O) dual tone, and XZA Plus (O) Dark Edition.

Tata Nexon Key Specifications

Price	₹ 9.28 Lakh onwards
Mileage	16.3 to 22 kmpl
Engine	1199 to 1497 cc
Safety	5 Star (Global NCAP)
Fuel Type	Petrol & Diesel
Transmission	Manual & Automatic (AMT)
Seating Capacity	5 Seater

CarWale's Take on Tata Nexon

• Good Things
• Upmarket looks - Exciting and impactful design, proper no-nonsense SUV stance
• G-NCAP safety - A five-star NCAP safety rating ensure buyers get a very safe car
• Performance - The powertrains offer a satisfying mid/top-end grunt for most situations
• Spacious cabin - Despite the compact footprint, it is roomier than segment rivals
• Sorted ride/handling - Nicely tuned suspension offers apt damping at most speeds
• Could be Better
• Interior quality, fit/finish - Scratchy hard plastics, rough edges, panel gaps
• Low-end grunt - The diesel motor needs some revving to get off the line properly
• Infotainment screen - Slow responses, low-resolution screen, interface not intuitive

CONCLUSION

* On Comparing all the above cars such as Tata Altroz, Honda Amaze, Hyundai Venue, and Tata Nexon I highly recommended Tata Altroz as it's a 5-star star rating GNCAP, It has greater mileage and it will be suited for Mr. Pugalendhi as he will be using the car for long driving and city as well. It also has a highly spacious interior as there are 5 members of their family. The Boot space provided by Tata Altroz is really impressive and also it will be very useful for Mr. Pughazhyendhii and his family as that boot capacity will in come handy to load enough luggage traveling to Native.

* Overall, Tata Altroz is suitable for anyone with a budget of under 10 lakhs.

TATA Altroz(HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)