Benchmarking

Benchmark on presently available cars

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

"Understanding Benchmarking"

Benchmarking is a process of measuring the performance of a company’s products, services, or processes against those of another business considered to be the best in the industry, “best in class.” The point of benchmarking is to identify internal opportunities for improvement.

Process of Benchmarking:

• Choose a product, service, or internal department to benchmark
• Determine which best-in-class companies you should benchmark against – which organizations you’ll compare your business to
• Gather information on their internal performance, or metrics
• Compare the data from both organizations to identify gaps in your company’s performance
• Adopt the processes and policies in place within the best-in-class performers

Benchmarking will point out what changes will make the most difference, but it’s up to you to actually put them in place.

First Step :-

In order to benchmark anything, you need to have quantitative data available to study. That means breaking down internal processes to calculate performance metrics. Quantify everything, because only quantifiable information can be accurately compared.

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. Budget is between 8 to 10 lacs on-road price.
5. He is fond of big cars

which seems he required vehicle with following

• 5-7 seater with comfortable seating
• Long range drive performance
• Speed and Efficient
• Enough Boot space for Luggage
• Enough Rear Leg room space

The prices for the top 5 popular cars under 10 lakh are:Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder Price is ₹ 10.00 Lakh, Mahindra XUV300 Price is ₹ 8.41 Lakh, Maruti Suzuki Ertiga Price is ₹ 8.41 Lakh, Hyundai Verna Price is ₹ 9.43 Lakh and Kia Carens Price is ₹ 10.00 Lakh.

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

• Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder

Key Specification

Engine :- 1462 to 1490cc

Seating Capacity :- 5 Seater

Transmission :- Manual, Automatic(TC), Automatic(CVT)

Mileage :- 20.58 to 27.97 kmpl

Fuel Type :- Mild Hybrid (Electric+petrol), Hybrid (Electric+petrol), CNG

Good Things

1. Hybrid Powertrain - Segment first setup switch between electic and engine propulsion.

2. Efficiency - The hybrid system relies less on the petrol engine to improve frugality

3. Drivability/Performance - Ample grunt to drive in traffic/highways with a full load.

4. Pliant ride - The ride quality is supple over most of the surfaces we encountered.

To Be Better

1. Restrictive headroom - The headroom on the rear bench isn’t good for taller occupants.

2. Boot space - Reduced boot space owing to the hybrid's battery placement underneath.

• Mahindra XUV300

Key Specification

Engine :- 1197 to 1497cc

Seating Capacity :- 5 Seater

Transmission :- Manual, Automatic(AMT)

Fuel Type :- Petrol & Diesel

Safety :- 5 Star (Global NCAP)

Good Things

1. Looks handsome - The majority will agree that the XUV300 has an attractive front end.

2. NCAP safety rating - This SUV's five-star rating satisfies growing concerns about safety.

3. Equipment list - The top-spec variant has a long list of features, safety equipment.

4. Potent drivetrains - The engines respond well to throttle inputs and aid drivability.

5. Comfortable ride - One of the few cars that offer a plaint ride regardless of the speed

To Be Better

1. Needs a makeover - An update would help attract prospective buyers to the XUV300.

2. Interior fit/finish - It is not in the league of segment rivals such as the Venue/Seltos.

3. Petrol AMT gearbox - The engine feels less refined due to the discernible shift shocks.

• Marurti Suzuki Ertiga

Key Specification

Engine :- 1462cc

Seating Capacity :- 7 Seater

Transmission :- Manual, Automatic(TC)

Fuel Type :- Petrol & CNG

Safety :- 3 Star (Global NCAP)

Good Things

1. Comfortable seats – Large, well-cushioned seats with adequate overall support.

2. Boot Space - The 550-litre enclosure is adequate in case the third row is not in use.

3. Lightweight - This has a positive effect on performance and fuel efficiency.

4. Cruising capability – The flat ride quality makes it ideal for traversing long distances.

5. Easy to drive – Almost feels like piloting a Swift and not a seven-seater MPV.

To Be Better

1. Third-row legroom - Tall people in the second row can limit legroom in the last row.

2. Interior plastic quality – Feels inconsistent as you start going lower down in the cabin.

3. Compact MPV - It is still a smaller MPV when compared to the Innova and Marazzo.

• Hyundia Verna

Key Specification

Engine :- 998 to 1497cc

Seating Capacity :- 5 Seater

Transmission :- Manual, Automatic(TC), Automatic(CVT), Automatic(DCT)

Fuel Type :- Petrol & Diesel

Good Things

1. Premium quality - Quality along with fit/finish are among the best in the segment.

2. Sharp styling - It has the looks to attract SUV buyers due to the sporty design .

3. Overall dynamics - Effective chassis engineering/damping allows spirited cornering .

4. Rearseat comfort - Spending hours in the backseat is both relaxing and less tedious.

5. Refined powertrains - Capable motors/gearboxes that are always up to the task.

To Be Better

1. Rear headroom - It can get a tad cramped for tall people seated at the rear.

2. Steering feel - Lacks a feelsome steering that would've enhanced the experience.

3. Loaded dynamics - Not as dynamic when fully loaded, speed breakers need attention.

• Kia Carens

Key Specification

Engine :- 1353 to 1497cc

Seating Capacity :- 6 & 7 Seater

Transmission :- Manual, Automatic(TC), Automatic(DCT)

Fuel Type :- Petrol & Diesel

Good Things

1. Visibility - Height adjustable seat, large windows/ORVMs help while manoeuvring.

2. City driving - The light steering, auto gearbox and Eco mode aid seamless city driving.

3. Roomy cabin - Easy ingress, seats are comfy, has sorted ergonomics, usable third row.

4. Road manners - Good ride since nothing fazes the Carens, both inside/outside the city.

5. Excellently calibrated brakes - The bite, power, and progression are well-judged.

To Be Better

1. Exterior design - Its something that'll catch your attention when seen in the flesh.

2. Steering - The speed/force of the steering’s returnability feels artificial and tedious.

3. Length poses concerns - Finding an appropriate urban space to park can be challenging.

CONCLUSION:

From above studies & compared data Mahindra XUV300 is the best in 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 And the engine feels less refined due to the discernible shift shocks.

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 Kia Carens.

.