Benchmarking

Benchmarking

When an automotive company decides to launch a new model in the market, there are various steps that take place before the car is actually launched. The first and foremost for it consists of studying the existing market and pin pointing the trends. This study is what we call benchmarking. Wherein we decide what all qualities should the new model have and what improvements can be done upon the previous models.

Benchmarking is done in two stages, one deciding the basic and major details of the model and another which goes into more details of every part of the parent and reference model.

For the first benchmarking:

• A model is chosen, say hatchbacks, SUVs which will be the target model for the production.
• Next, one model is zeroed in, which is set as benchmark, that is set as standard which the company needs to achieve.
• Data on the performance and metrics is then gathered. Based on this study the idea or concept of the new model is set.

The new concept consists of the improvements that can be done in the benchmarked model. These new improvements may or may not be feasible depending on the other factors which are further studies in detail after the concept preparation.

The data from the parent model (if parent model is considered as the benchmark for the project) or from the model of a rival considered is studied in detail for the various consideration made during the production of the model, like the thickness of the undercoat, number of parts for the final assembly, the reason for the difference in the data. As, different companies target different aspects depending on budget and customer base along with government limitations.

After this final study, benchmarking II takes place, wherein the final standards of the product is decided and the data is forwarded to the design team which works on the input, which can again changes little based in design limitations.

Based on the budget given as well as the type of lifestyle Mr.Pughazhyendii leads, following are the specifications which are best suited for customers like him living in a crowded city with family living in near-by cities.

Given details:

• Family of 5.
• Daily commute to office.
• Almost 1000km travel to Madurai once a month.

Body type: Hatchback

I think Hatchback is a good option to drive in a crowded city like Bangalore where traffic congestions are common. They will also provide better mobility during traffic as well as better for parking.

Transmission: Automatic

Constant depressing of clutch in a traffic can be very tedious, hence an automatic vehicle will help ease the ride. Automated manual transmission is a good option for Mr.Pughazhyendii‘s city. As well as automatic getting increasingly popular is one of the reasons to go for this type.

Fuel: Petrol

Petrol is a good choice, as the growth in electric/ hybrid electric vehicles might help in reducing prices of the fuel. While hybrid vehicles are a good fit, they do not fit in the budget given. I do not recommend diesel as it is costlier to maintain in the long run. CNG will take up luggage space, which would not be a good idea seeing how Mr.Pughazhyendii needs to travel long distance once a month. Electric vehicle is a good option, but the industry is yet to develop and there will be charging problems, battery costs in the long run.

Mileage: 15-25 kmpl

Mr. needs the car for daily office commute as well as long distance travel once a month, hence mileage plays a huge role in the budget in addition to the on-road price, a good mileage between 15-25 kmpl will be a good choice and not too heavy on Mr.Pughazhyendii pocket.

Seating Capacity: 5-Seater

Mr.Pughazhyendii has a family of 5, of which one is a 5-year-old, and hence will not take up much space inside the car for at least the next 3-4 years and so a 5-seater is better than a 7-seater which will lengthen the car size and will end up being difficult to navigate through traffic.

City to Buy: Madurai

It is mentioned Mr.Pughazhyendii visits family in Madurai once a month. I suggest they buy the car from the very city as the prices in Bangalore are a lot higher than in Madurai, which is due to different taxes in the state. The rates further go down in hennai, however as Madurai is a city, they are familiar with, I have listed prices of Madurai.

Based on the above specifications, I short listed the following Models.

Model (Varaint)	Toyota Glanza (G CVT)	Renault Kiger (RXZ AMT DT)	Maruti Swift (ZXI Plus AMT)	Volkswagen (Polo 1:0 TSI Comfortline AT)	Ford Figo (Titanium Plus AT)
Price (in Madurai) Lakhs (on road)	9.83	9.84	9.69	9.75	9.44
BHP	81.8	71.01	88.5	108.6	95.48
Engine cc	1197	999	1197	999	1194
Mileage (kmpl)	19.56	19.03	23.76	16.47	16
Exterior Dimensions (LxWxH) m3	3.9x1.7x1.5	3.9x1.7x1.6	3.8x1.7x1.5	3.8x1.7x1.5	3.9x1.7x1.5
Wheelbase	2520	2500	2450	2450	2490
Boot Space	399	405	265	287	284

Ford Figo

Volkswagen Polo

Maruti Swift

Renault Kiger

Toyota Glanza

The above specifications are the factor with respect to which the data defers the most. All other features of the above model remain more of less the same. It is obvious from the data that the best mileage is given by Maruti Swift. Although the boot space is way less compared to Renault Kiger and Toyota Glanza. While the mileage for Volkswagen and Ford is on the lower side, these to models are fully automatic cars and hence promise a smooth ride at all speeds and efficiency in gear shifts.

All the models stated have some advantages and disadvantages, but according to me, I suggest buying Toyota Glanza over others for the following reasons:

• Being a CVT type gearbox, makes it ideal for Bangalore traffic (CVT has a strong point of having good mileage). Its drawback is delay in shifting gears, which is a problem only at very high speeds, but has no effect in city traffic.
• Glanza has a good mileage of 19.5kmpl.
• The dimensions of the vehicle are 9 x 1.7x 1.5 m³, which is common for all the vehicles in this price range like Maruti Swift ZXI Plus AMT, Volkswagen Polo 1:0 TSI Comfortline AT, and the likes.
• All the more, it is observed that it has better leg room over other cars like Maruti Swift.
• Boot space available is also on the better side with 399 litre capacity, boot space can be accessed from within the car, which cuts the hassle for stopping the car to retrieve something from the boot.
• The car weight is another plus point being on the lighter side at 935Kg while others are in the range of 1000kg except for Swift.
• It comes with airbags for driver and passenger seats. But, since airbags are compulsory for newer vehicles, it’s a common option for all.
• Aesthetic wise, Glanza has a classic look which suits well for a family. It also comes with 4 colours – white, grey, black and blue.
• The only downside is it reaches the upper bar for budget, priced at 9.83 (Bangalore on road price 10.22lakhs).
• Other features: Comes with a 4-Cylinder engine which is best for stability for running at higher speeds.
• Other note worthy features are 4 speakers, power steering, speed sensing auto locks, anti-pinch power windows which are common in most vehicles.

Conclusion:

Among the cars available in the given price range, the best fit is a car with good mileage and worry-free maintenance with preference over vehicles which provide ease in drive i.e., automatic transmissions. Hence, Toyota is an ideal choice in terms of power, mileage and maintenance.