Challenge

Benchmarking

MMukul Thakur26 Dec 2022

AAUTOMOTIVE BENCHMARKING

Benchmarking is the process of comparison of similar products on some dimensions of performance

Automotive Benchmarking is the process of analyzing the choices of similar products based on the selection factor and deducing it to final conclusion.

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, 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 the road. Please suggest to him options so that he will buy a good car for his family.

Note: Pughazhyendhii is fond of big cars

REPORT

The above case of Mr. Pughazhyendhii leads to the following filters. They are

The number of commuters is five including a child and hence the vehicle should be spacious with enough legroom
He uses his car for his Daily office commute and a monthly trip to his native. This would give a total estimate of more than 2500km/month and 20000km/year.
The budget is from 8-10 Lakhs and he is also fond of big cars
Based on these underpinning factors the suggestion would be a choice of SUV Vehicle and
Considering the long run vehicle the viable option would be the Diesel variant which helps to save fuel costs and other upfront maintenance and also has better mileage.
In a crowded city like Bengaluru, Automatic Gear transmission would be best suited but due to budget constraints and fuel efficiency Manual Transmission is preferred

Based on these requirements a detailed benchmarking is done to compare the specifications, advantages, and other considerable parameters

Comparison Parameters of the Car Models

PERFORMANCE

Mahindra XUV and Ford EcoSport are the front runners but TATA Nexon offers much more stable performance on city traffic and highway with multi-drive modes.
Tata Nexon has a Linear Power Delivery system and has better Engine power and torque only falling behind Mahindra XUV.
The Reported ARAI Mileage shows Venue and Nexon are far better and Mahindra falls behind because of its power-to-weight ratio.

INTERIOR

TATA Nexon is the best among the group because of its spacious Cabin Interior with more Leg room for the rear passengers and suits best for the family drive by giving the best seating for the fifth passenger.
The Glove Box and Rear HVAC Vent are the standout features of TATA NEXON and also have improved sunvision and Instrument Panel Clusters with added utility holders along the side doors.
Nexon's Infotainment touchscreen has subpar performance compared to Ford Ecosport and Hyundai Venue.
Mahindra XUV has a better Plastic Interior trim quality and Dual tone variant of Hyundai Venue and looks better whereas the Quality of the XM variant Nexon is not superior compared to other models
The Blue link connectivity App with a smartphone from Hyundai Venue gives additional scoring for Venue among others

EXTERIOR

TATA Nexon is a standout in this category and offers the maximum boot space of 350 liters falling just behind EcoSport but Nexon provides way better ground clearance of 209mm which will be well suited for the Indian Roads
The Facelift, Headlight, and Tail Light are stylish in NEXON and give a land rover discovery-like front with a beefy and bulky front end.
The Lagged ABC Pillars of TATA NEXON offer better headroom than the other models.

SAFETY and COMFORT

Almost all the models have the same safety features as Dual Airbags, ABS with EBD, parking sensors, and corner stability control but NEXON offers a Dead pedal which comes in very handy in the case of Pughazhyendhii for his frequent long drive.
Apart from that Automatic Rain Sensing Wipers, Tyre pressure monitoring systems are available in TATA NEXON 1.5XM within the price range
TATA Nexon is the first Indian Model to receive a 5-star NCAP Rating for its safety and crash test. Mahindra XUV also has a 5-star rating

Img1) NCAP Report

The Fortified Cabin with a High strong steel structure absorbs impact and protects the passengers during an unfortunate collision

Img2) HSS of TATA Nexon

VERDICT

TATA Nexon 1.5 XM is a better model suited to Pughazhyendhii based on the benchmarking report done above. It offers much better stability in performance and spaciousness compared to other models and falls under the budget of 10 lakhs with a top-spec model. Hyundai Venue also provides better features but lags Nexon on the Rear Passenger comfort along with XUV and Eco Sport.