Benchmarking
BENCHMARKING
- Introduction:-
What is BENCHMARKING ?
"Benchmarking is a process of measuring the performance of a company' Products, Services or Processes against those of another business considered to be best in the class."
In Simple words Benchmarking can be called as "Technical Comparison"
There are some steps in Benchmarking Process
1- Planning
2- Collection Of Information
3- Analysis Of Data
4- Implementation
5- Monitoring
Here we are concerned with Benchmarking of AUTOMOBILE (Passenger Car in specific).
The complete Development process of a Car take 3-6 years in general. There are some certain steps that are need to be followed for the development of a Car. The very first and most important step is Pre-design and Development. This step lays the foundation of development of a car. This step will Decide that "What we are going to develop".
This Step included two types of Benchmarking that are as follows:-
(i) Benchmarking 1 :- This involves Technical Comparison and Analysis at Product or Car Level. Here the concerned engineer will compare their product to be made with already present products in market such as Defining the Competitors, comparing the Prize and other major Specifications.
(ii) Benchmarking 2 :- It is further step of Benchmarking where the emphasis is laid solely over a particular part of the car such as Hood, Roof etc. and the the comparison and analysis is done over this particular commodity. Here the focus is at more precise level where the analysis will be done with taking Thickness, weight etc of the particular part such as roof in consideration to affect the Car body as whole.
Now there is a situation where we have to pick the best car given certain conditions.
Condition:- 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, five-year-old boy, his father, and his mother. He visits his native place Madurai which is 500kms away from Bangalore once in a month. Also, he will be using his car to commute to his office. His budget falls between 8 to 10 lakhs on road.
He is fond of Big Cars.
There are 5 members in the family of Mr. Pughazyendhii including his wife, 5 year old son and his parents.
Here is list of some of the best 5 Seater Cars in India.
- Tata Tiago
- Mahindra XUV300
- Maruti Suzuki Swift
- Tata Harrier
- Maruti Suzuki Baleno
- Ford EcoSport
- Toyota Glanza
- Skoda Rapid TSI
- Nissan Magnite
- Hyundai Aura
- Honda Amaze
- Tata Tigor
- Maruti Suzuki Dzire
- Major Demands To Be Addressed:-
- Economy:- Mr. Pughazhyendhii Have a Budget range of 8-10 Lakhs. At the same time He is fond of Big Cars. But once the Car's Length exceeds 4 Meter , there is a huge hike in Excise Duty by the Government. So most appropriate Car for him will be the one which falls under Sub 4 meter Category but also not very less whose size does not excite the owner.
- Mileage:- As Mr. Pughazhyendhii drives to his office daily in a crowded city. Assuming that his office distance from his home is somewhere between 5 to 15 Kms. Given The Heavy Traffic and On Weekdays driving to office, Having an optimum Mileage Range is need of the hour.
- Safety:- Safety is one of the most sought out demand in today's world anywhere and while driving it is even more important. Adding to that there is a 5 year old son and 2 old Parents. So safety is most desirable here which include the aspects that whether the car does have the Child Seat Anchor Points or not. Also Car have Seat Belt warning or not. Facility of Airbags
- Compatible for Long Journeys:- The whole family visit To Their Native place which is 500 Kms away from their home so A Car that facilitates the long tour is of the needs for this family. Having enough Boot Space for Luggage ( that is expected when the famliy is going for such a long distance). Having a Large enough Fuel Tank Capacity which eliminates the frequent need of Refilling.
- Others:- Such as where the transmission is automatic or not. Length of Car
So Here by Benchmarking of 4 Cars which would be most suited for Mr. Pughazhyendhii is followed.
1- Tata Tiago XZA Plus:-
Tata Tiago XZA Plus is the Petrol Variant and is Priced ₹ 8.37 Lakh (On Road Prize in Bangalore). Tata Tiago XZA Plus is available in AMT transmission and offered in % colors; Arizona Blue, Daytona Grey, Pure Silver, Flame Red and Pearlescent White. Here are some specifications of this Car.
- Engine & Transmission
| Engine | 1199 cc, 3 Cylinders Inline, 2 Valves/Cylinder, DOHC |
| Engine Type | Revotron 1.2 L |
| Fuel Type | Petrol |
| Max Power | 84 bhp @ 6000rpm |
| Max Torque | 113 Nm @ 3300 rpm |
| Mileage (ARAI) | 23.84 kmpl |
| Drivetrain | Front Wheel Drive |
| Transmission | AMT - 5 Gears, Manual Override |
.
- Dimension and Weight
| Length | 3765 mm |
| Width | 1677 mm |
| Height | 1535 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2400 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 170 mm |
| Kerb Weight | 987 Kg |
- Capacity
| Doors | 5 Doors |
| Seating Capacity | 5 Person |
| No of Seating Rows | 2 Rows |
| Bootspace | 242 Litres |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 35 Litres |
- Safety
| Airbags | 2 Airbags (Driver and Passenger) | |
|
N | |
| Seat Belt Warning | Yes |
2-Mahindra XUV300 1.2 W4:-
Mahindra XUV300 1.2 W4 is the petrol variant in the XUV300 lineuo and is priced at ₹ 9.68 Lakh (On Road Prize in Bangalore). Mahindra XUV300 1.2 W4 is available in Manual Transmission and offered in 5 colors: Napoli Black, Aqua Marine, Dsat Silver, Red Rage and Pearl White. Here are some specifications of this Car.
- Engine & Transmission
| Engine | 1197 cc, 3 Cylinders Inline, 4 Valves/Cylinder, DOHC |
| Engine Type | 1.2 Turbo Petrol |
| Fuel Type | Petrol |
| Max Power | 109 bhp @ 5000rpm |
| Max Torque | 200 Nm @ 2000 rpm |
| Mileage (ARAI) | 17 kmpl |
| Drivetrain | Front Wheel Drive |
| Transmission | Manual - 6 Gears, Sport Mode |
- Dimension and Weight
| Length | 3995 mm |
| Width | 1821 mm |
| Height | 1627 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2600 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 180 mm |
| Kerb Weight | N/A |
- Capacity
| Doors | 5 Doors |
| Seating Capacity | 5 Person |
| No of Seating Rows | 2 Rows |
| Bootspace | 257 Litres |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 42 Litres |
- Safety
| Airbags | 2 Airbags (Driver and Passenger) |
| Child Seat Anchor Points | Yes |
| Seat Belt Warning | Yes |
3-Maruti Suzuki Swift Zxi AMT:-
Maruti Suzuki Swift Zxi AMT is the Petrol Variant in the Swift Lineup and is Prized at ₹ 8.99 Lakh (On Road Prize in Bangalore). Maruti Suzuki Swift Zxi AMT is available in AMT transmission and offered in 6 colors: Pearl Metallic Midnight Blue, Metallic Magma Grey, Metallic Silky Silver, Pearl Arctic White, Pearl Metallic Lucent Orange and Solid Fire Red. Here are some specifications of this Car.
- Engine & Transmission
| Engine | 1197 cc, 4 Cylinders Inline, 4 Valves/Cylinder, DOHC |
| Engine Type | 1.2L Dual Jet |
| Fuel Type | Petrol |
| Max Power | 89 bhp @ 6000rpm |
| Max Torque | 113 Nm @ 4400 rpm |
| Mileage (ARAI) | 23.76 kmpl |
| Drivetrain | Front Wheel Drive |
| Transmission | AMT - 5 Gears, Manual Override |
- Dimension and Weight
| Length | 3845 mm |
| Width | 1735 mm |
| Height | 1530 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2450 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 163 mm |
| Kerb Weight | 875-905 Kg |
- Capacity
| Doors | 5 Doors |
| Seating Capacity | 5 Person |
| No of Seating Rows | 2 Rows |
| Bootspace | 268 Litres |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 37 Litres |
- Safety
| Airbags | 2 Airbags (Driver and Passenger) |
| Child Seat Anchor Points | Yes |
| Seat Belt Warning | Yes |
4-Maruti Suzuki Dzire VXi AGS:-
Maruti Suzuki Dzire Vxi AGS is the Petrol Variant in the Dzire lineup and is priced at ₹ 9.05 Lakh (On Road Prize in Banglore). Maruti Suzuki Dzire VXi AGS is available in AMT transmission and offered in 6 Colors: Oxford Blue, Phoenix Red, Magma Grey, Premium Silver, Sherwood Brown and Arctic White. Here are some specifications of this Car.
- Engine & Transmission
| Engine | 1197 cc, 4 Cylinders Inline, 4 Valves/Cylinder, DOHC |
| Engine Type | 1.2L Dual Jet |
| Fuel Type | Petrol |
| Max Power | 89 bhp @ 6000rpm |
| Max Torque | 113 Nm @ 4400 rpm |
| Mileage (ARAI) | 24.12 kmpl |
| Drivetrain | Front Wheel Drive |
| Transmission | AMT - 5 Gears, Manual Override |
- Dimension and Weight
| Length | 3995 mm |
| Width | 1735 mm |
| Height | 1515 mm |
| Wheelbase | 2450 mm |
| Ground Clearance | 163 mm |
| Kerb Weight | 892 Kg |
- Capacity
| Doors | 4 Doors |
| Seating Capacity | 5 Person |
| No of Seating Rows | 2 Rows |
| Bootspace | 378 Litres |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 37 Litres |
- Safety
| Airbags | 2 Airbags (Driver and Passenger) |
| Child Seat Anchor Points | Yes |
| Seat Belt Warning | Yes |
*Note :- ARAI stands for the Automotive Research Association of India. this association tests the cars in a controlled environment and provides an estimated/claimed mileage for the vehicles.
- Analysis:-
Above is the technical Comparison of 4 most suited cars for the family of Mr. Pughazhyendhii where we have seen the Specification and features of 4 Cars:- Tata TIago XZA Plus, Mahindra XUV300 1.2 W4, Maruti Suzuki Swift Zxi AMT and Maruti Suzuki Dzire Vxi AGS.
But Which is the best Car among these for Mr. Pughazhyendhii and his family?
We will get to know by analysis of the specifications and features.
1- In terms of Economy :- Tata Tiago XZA Plus ₹ 8.37 Lakh (On Road Prize in Bangalore) < Maruti Suzuki Swift Zxi AM ₹ 8.99 Lakh (On Road Prize in Bangalore) < Maruti Suzuki Dzire VXi AGS ₹ 9.05 Lakh (On Road Prize in Banglore) < Mahindra XUV300 1.2 W4 ₹ 9.68 Lakh (On Road Prize in Bangalore).
2- In terms of Mileage:- Maruti Suzuki Dzire VXi AGS (24.12 kmpl) > Tata Tiago XZA Plus (23.84 kmpl) > Maruti Suzuki Swift Zxi AMT (23.76 Kmpl) > Mahindra XUV300 1.2 W4 (17 Kmpl)
3- In terms of Safety:- All 4 cars have Seat Belt Warning,All 4 Cars have 2-2 Airbags, except Tata Tiago XZA Plus all 3 other Cars have Child Seat belt Warning. Negative aspect of Tata Tiago XZA Plus considering the family have a 5 Year old Child.
4- In terms of Long Journey:-
(i) Bootspace:- Maruti Suzuki Dzire VXi AGS (378 Litres) > Maruti Suzuki Swift Zxi AMT (268 Litres) > Mahindra XUV300 1.2 W4 (257 Litres) > Tata Tiago XZA Plus (242 Litres)
(ii) Fuel Tank Capacity:- Mahindra XUV300 1.2 W4 (42 Litres) > Maruti Suzuki Dzire VXi AGS (37 Litres) > Maruti Suzuki Swift Zxi AMT (37 Litres) > Tata Tiago XZA Plus (35 Litres)
5- Others:- Except for Mahindra XUV300 1.2 W4 all others have Automatic Transmission system.
Mahindra XUV 300 1.2 W4 along with Maruti Suzuki Dzire Vxi AGS are the longest cars (3994 mm) followed by Maruti Suzuki Swift Zxi AMT (3845 mm) and Tata Tiago XZA Plus being the least in length (3765 mm)
- CONCLUSION:-
Maruti Suzuki Dzire Vxi AGS is the best Car for Mr. Pughazhyendhii and his family according to the Benchmarking and analysis.
Reasons:-
1- Best In Mileage (Most Important aspect for someone who drives daily to his office that too in a crowded city)
2- On Road Prize under the budget easily (2 Cars have lesser prize but its a one time investment and the difference is not that big)
3- No Compromise to Safety requirements
4- Largest Boot Space and 2nd largest Fuel tank Capacity
5- Automatic Transmission provides ease in driving.
6- Longest Car along with Mahindra XUV300 1.2 W4 which will fullfill the desire of Mr. Pughazhyendhii of having A BIG CAR.
(Naman Kumar Garg)