AIM:- Benchmarking

objective:-

.Benchmark with presently available cars in the market for the following 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 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

. Prepare a report explaining what is Bench-Marking

. Compare at least 4 vehicles.

. Provide a proper conclusion for the report, suggesting a single suitable vehicle among the comparison made with images.

Ford EcoSport:-

. Build Quality:-

The overall built quality of the Ford Ecosport is impressive and the car feels extremely solid.

There are no uneven panel gaps and the interiors too are well put together.

In addition to this, the paint quality and the quality of the plastics used inside the cabin is superior to most of its rivals.

. Powerful and Responsive Engines:-

The Ecosport can be had with a 1.5-L 3-cylinder Dragon petrol engine or with a 1.5-L TDCi engine.

Both these engines are not just powerful but are responsive and great in terms of overall driveability.

The low-end pull from these engines is one of the best in the segment which makes it a great car for the city commutes.

. Looks:-

With the launch of the facelift model, the Ecosport looks much better than before. The large grille up front and the aggressive bonnet design gives it a proper SUV look while the tailgate-mounted spare wheel complements the overall character of the vehicle.

. Driving Dynamics:-

The overall suspension setup of the Ford Ecosport makes it a great car for high-speed driving. The stability on triple-digit speeds is commendable and the car does not loose its composure when pushed hard.

. Long List Of Safety Features:-

The new Ecosport gets a number of safety features such as six airbags, ESP, TCS, HSA, ABS, EBD, etc which makes it a pretty safe car in case of a crash or during emergency situations. The solid build quality too adds on to the overall safety of the vehicle.

. Not So VFM:-

With the prices of the Ecosport going up and a number of features getting deleted from the spec sheet, the Ecosport is no longer a VFM product. The facelift model misses out on many essential features like a front-seat lumbar adjustment.

. Feels Dated:-

The Ecosport was first launched in the year 2013 and since then, there have been no major updates made to the product. The vehicle is still based on the same platform and gets the same basic architecture. However, it is worth noting that the brand may launch the next-gen Ecosport is a couple of years.

. Stiff Suspension Setup:-

The Ecosport gets slightly stiffer suspension setup which makes it a great handler but takes a toll on the overall ride quality of the vehicle. In addition to this, the car does tend to get bouncy on badly patched up surfaces at low city speeds.

. Narrow Second Row:-

The second row of the vehicle is not so spacious and may not accommodate three grown-up adults with ease. The rear seat is best suited for two adults and a small child.

. Thick A-Pillar Causes Blind Spot:-

The A-Pillar of the vehicle is extremely thick which creates a hindrance to the overall visibility from the driver's seat.

You may find this vehicle difficult to drive initially due to the not-so-great visibility.

FE

ECONOMY:

ARAI RATED – 16.50 KPL.

The mileage is 14.7 to 21.7 kmpl. T

he Manual Diesel variant has a mileage of 21.7 kmpl.

The Manual Petrol variant has a mileage of 15.9 kmpl. The Automatic Petrol variant has a mileage of 14.7 kmpl.

Features:-

The Ford EcoSport has 1 Diesel Engine and 1 Petrol Engine on offer. The Diesel engine is 1498 cc while the Petrol engine is 1496 cc

It is available with Manual & Automatic transmission.

The EcoSport is a 5 seater 3 cylinder car and has length of 3998, width of 1765 and a wheelbase of 2519.

BODY PART:-

Front Bumper = 3,461

Rear Bumper = 2,766

Bonnet/Hood = 10,455

Front Windshield Glass = 4,965

Rear Windshield Glass = 4,119

Fender (Left or Right) = 2,355

Head Light (Left or Right ) = 5,452

Tail Light (Left or Right) = 1,920

Dicky = 4,943

Front Door Handle (Outer)= 1,528

Back Panel = 8,417

Fog Lamp Assembly = 5,281

Front Panel = 8,417

Hyundai venue:-

Yes, even though the Venue is a compact SUV, it feels like a small hatchback at the rear.

You just cannot seat 3 people comfortably at the rear for longer journeys.

There is a lack of under-thigh support and legroom for rear passengers which makes it a complicated choice when compared with Tata Nexon or Maruti Brezza.

But, despite numerous options available in this segment, only a few have achieved unparalleled success.

The Hyundai Venue is one of them. Launched in 2019, the Venue quickly rose to become one of the best-selling compact SUVs, selling 70,443 units in just eight months of its launch.

The Hyundai Venue rivals the likes of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Mahindra XUV300, Tata Nexon and the Ford EcoSport in the market.

The Venue is also the first compact-SUV from Hyundai; placed below the Creta in the company's product lineup.

It is also the first 'Connected Car' in the country, debuting the brand's 'Blue Link' technology.

l

Disadvantages (Cons):- The Hyundai Venue is extremely well-designed.

It feels well proportioned from all angles, even though it is a compact-SUV.

However, compared to its competition the Venue doesn't have the largest dimensions.

Measuring in at 3995mm in length, 1770mm in width and 1590mm in height.

The car is smaller than most of its competition, which offer better width and height.

The wheelbase as well isn't the best-in-class, measuring just 2500mm.

This further translates to the overall space inside the cabin.

The compact-SUV promises to be a five-seater SUV, however, due to its compact dimensions three adults will struggle to sit comfortably in the back seats.

The smaller height also cramps tall passengers for headspace while the comparatively shorter wheelbase can cause an issue with legroom as well.

In terms of driving, the Hyundai Venue does have a soft suspension setup, which might be comfortable for the passengers, but while driving, it creeps up a slight bit of hesitancy especially during hard cornering or on twisty roads.

Advantages (Pros) The Hyundai Venue debuts the brand's ‘Blue Link' technology, which although isn't as responsive as mentioned before, it does offer a number of features and functionalities.

The technology offers an additional 33 features including geofencing, live vehicle tracking, vehicle statistics among a host of others.

The Venue also comes with a number of segment-first and class-leading features including ventilated front driver and passenger seats, wireless phone charging and rear AC vents, which make it stand out from its competitors.

The compact-SUV also comes with a large 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and in-built navigation features as well.

The interiors feel premium and the cabin, along with the dashboard receives soft-touch materials adding to the premium feel of the SUV.

Another important addition on the Venue is the availability of a seven-speed DCT automatic gearbox.

Something missing on all its rivals, this allows for smoother, quicker and more refined gearshifts;

making it perfect for all driving scenarios.

The DCT is available on the top-spec model with the 1.0-litre turbo petrol (GDi) engine.

It produces 120bhp and 172Nm of torque.

This engine offers refined performance, feels sporty, quick and is absolute fun to drive, even on the highways.

The seating on the Hyundai Venue offers excellent comfort for all passengers, with adequate cushioning.

Even the rear passenger seats offer good under-thigh support, which along with the central armrest provides good comfort.

There are also a lot of storage compartments all around the cabin.

This includes the side pockets on the doors, behind the front seats, below the front central armrest and at the central console as well.

omposite materials may be the best option out there, no matter what a driver is looking for. Composite auto body kit materials are a mix of more than one material, creating a strong, lightweight, and flexible option

3M™ Ceramic Coating is a proprietary ceramic coating which provides a protective layer that chemically bonds to automotive paint finshes. Excellent water beading effect providing a just polished look that is durable in a variety of environmental conditions.

ECONOMY:

ARAI RATED – 18.27 KPL.

CITY – 15.80 KPL.

HIGHWAY – 18.65 KPL.

• MARUTI SUZUKI VITARA BREEZA:

ECONOMY:

ARAI RATED – 17.03 KPL.

CITY – 15.30 KPL.

HIGHWAY – 17.90 KPL.

FEATUES: THE MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LIMITED IS ONE OF THE LEADING AUTO MAKER IN INDIA WHO OWNS ABOUT 53% MARKET SHARE IN INDIAN PASSENGER CAR MARKET.

COMING TO MARUTI SUZUKI VITARA BREEZA INTERIORS ARE AVERAGE WITH LOW GRADE PLASTIC BUT WELL CRAFTED, INCLUDING TOUCHSCREEN INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM.

BREEZA’S 103HP, 1.5L 4-CYLINDER BS-6 PETROL ENGINE IS REFINED AND PEPPY.THE

LACK OF TURBO CHARGER MAKES THE RIDE BIT SLOWER. THE 5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION GEAR BOX IS A GOOD TORQUE CONVERTER & SMOOTH SHIFTING.

COMING TO THE DRIVERS SEATING POSITION, WE GET A COMMANDABLE VIWE POSITION TOWARDS THE ROAD AND BEST IN THE SEGMENT. THE KERB WEIGH OF THE VEHICLE IS AROUND 1110 KG.

SAFETY: COMING TO THE SAFETY MARUTI BREEZA IS EQUIPPED WITH BETTER SAFETY FEATURES LIKE 2-AIR BAGS(DRIVER & PASSINGER), ABS AS STANDARD & EBD BUT MISSING ESP & TCS WHICH HELPS IN MANSOON DAYS.

PRICING: THE PRICE OF MARUTI BREEZA IS LOWEST IN THIS SEGMENT AND THE MARUTI SUZUKI VITARA BREEZA LXI PETROL COMES AT A COST OF 8.87 LAKHS EX-SHOW ROOM BANGLORE.

TATA NEXON:

ECONOMY:

ARAI RATED – 17.00 KPL.

CITY – 14.00 KPL (ECO MODE).

HIGHWAY – 18.00 KPL (ECO MODE).

FEATUES: THE TATA MOTORS INDIA LIMITED IS ONE OF THE LEADING AUTO MAKER IN INDIA.

COMING TO TATA NEXON INTERIORS ARE WELL CRAFTED, INCLUDING TOUCHSCREEN INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM. NEXON’S 118HP, 1.2L TURBO CHARGED 3-CYLINDER BS-6 PETROL ENGINE IS REFINED AND PEPPY.

TURBO CHRGER IMPROVES THE RIDE EXPERIENCE. THE 6 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION GEARBOX IS A GOOD TORQUE CONVERTER & SMOOTH SHIFTING.

COMING TO THE DRIVERS SEATING POSITION, WE GET A COMMANDABLE VIWE POSITION TOWARDS ROAD AND BEST IN THE SEGMENT. THE KERB WEIGH OF THE VEHICLE IS AROUND 1285 KG.

SAFETY: COMING TO THE SAFETY TATA NEXON IS EQUIPPED LOADED SAFETY FEATURES HIGH IN THIS SEGMENT LIKE 2-AIR BAGS(DRIVER & PASSINGER), ABS AS STANDARD, EBD, ESP & TCS WHICH HELPS IN MANSOON DAYS.

PRICING: THE PRICE OF TATA NEXON IS COMPETATIVE IN THIS SEGMENT AND THE TATA NEXON XM PETROL COMES AT A COST OF 9.45 LAKHS EX-SHOW ROOM BANGLORE.

SUGGESTION:

FROM THE ABOVE COMPARISION I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST TATA NEXON (9.45 LAKHS). REASON OF ITS TOP CLASS SAFETY FEATURES & THE BADGE OF 5* STAR RATING IN GLOBAL NCAP TEST. THE A TURBO CHARGED ENGINE WITH DIFFERENT DRIVE MODES.