Benchmarking

Benchmarking :

Benchmarking is a comparative study between any part or feature or service of any product. The product may include a car, toy, computer parts, etc... The aim of any company is to attract new customers and give better products so as to sustain in the market. Benchmarking helps us to study our competitor's product and analyse the opportunities to improve our product over the competitors. It enables us to understand the position of our product in the market and how to compete in the market so as to achieve high sales and profit.

Different benchmarking include,

• Direct comparison of the product - comparison of the features that our competitors give.
• Comparison of service provided - this directs affects the customer relationship.
• Comparison of the method of production - may involve a reduction in cycle time, etc...
• Comparison of marketing strategies.

The steps involved in benchmarking,

• Identify the product or service to be compared.
• Identify available similar products to compare.
• Prepare detailed study of the product features.
• Compare the features and functions with similar products.
• Implement improvements over the product.

Benchmarking Case study for Mr. D.S. Pughazhyendhii :

Case input :

• A 5 seater car is required
• The price bracket of the car is 8 to 10 lakhs.
• The purpose of the car is the regular commute and for the long road trip.
• The customer is fond of big cars.

Since the customer is fond of big cars we will compare SUVs in the current market and suggest a car for his needs.

Product identification :

The product under consideration is a five-seater SUV for the requirements mentioned above.

Similar products in the market :

• Kia Sonet
• Hyundai Venue
• Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza
• Mahindra XUV300

I have chosen these four similar cars for our comparison.

Description :

1. Kia Sonet :

Kia Sonet offers more colour options compared to other cars. The features include tiger-nose grills, full led headlamps, projector fog lights, 16-inch alloy wheels, rear diffusers, led tail lamps, 10.25 inch HD touchscreen infotainment system, sunroof, wireless charging, different traction modes. The car is also equipped with six airbags, hill-start-assist and brake assist.

2. Hyundai Venue :

This car included features a split headlamp, projector headlamps, LED DRLs, projector fog lights, LED tail lights, 16-inch alloy wheels, electric sunroof, 8-inch touch infotainment system with apple car play, android auto, automatic climate control, height-adjustable driver seat etc...

3. Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza :

Features of the Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza include projector headlamps with LED DRLs,16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, LED tail-lights and a revised rear bumper. As for the rear, the Vitara Brezza has LED taillights and a slightly restyled rear bumper. The vehicle gets fabric upholstery with an all-black theme. The vehicle gets a leather-wrapped steering wheel, the SmartPlay infotainment system.

4. Mahindra XUV300 :

Features of Mahindra XUV300 include projector headlamps with LED DRLs, fog lights, electrically adjustable ORVMs, LED tail lights, an integrated spoiler, and 17-inch alloy wheels. Inside, the Mahindra XUV300 comes equipped with a sunroof, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and BlueSense technology, cruise control, steering-mounted controls, dual-zone automatic climate control, push-button start-stop, and an auto-dimming IRVM. Safety features include seven airbags, ABS with EBD, front and rear parking sensors, reverse parking camera, ESP with roll-over mitigation, cornering brake control, TPMS, all four disc brakes, seat-belt reminders, impact sensing auto door unlock, and speed sensing auto door lock.

Detailed specifications comparison :

	Kia Sonet	Hyundai Venue	Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza	Mahindra XUV 300
Engine	1197 cc, 4 Cylinders Inline, 4 Valves/Cylinder, DOHC	1197 cc, 4 Cylinders Inline, 4 Valves/Cylinder, DOHC	1462 cc, 4 Cylinders Inline, 4 Valves/Cylinder, DOHC	1197 cc, 3 Cylinders Inline, 4 Valves/Cylinder, DOHC
Engine Type	Smartstream G 1.2	1.2 l Kappa	K15B	1.2 Turbo Petrol
Fuel Type	Petrol	Petrol	Petrol	Petrol
Max Power (bhp@rpm)	82 bhp @ 6000 rpm	82 bhp @ 6000 rpm	103 bhp @ 6000 rpm	109 bhp @ 5000 rpm
Max Torque (Nm@rpm)	115 Nm @ 4200 rpm	114 Nm @ 4000 rpm	138 Nm @ 4400 rpm	200 Nm @ 2000 rpm
Mileage (ARAI) (kmpl)	18.4	17.52	17.03	17
Drivetrain	FWD	FWD	FWD	FWD
Transmission	Manual - 5 Gears	Manual - 5 Gears	Manual - 5 Gears	Manual - 6 Gears
Emission Standard	BS 6	BS 6	BS 6	BS 6
Turbocharger/Supercharger	X	X	X	Turbocharged
Length (mm)	3995	3995	3995	3995
Width (mm)	1790	1770	1790	1821
Height (mm)	1610	1590	1640	1627
Wheelbase (mm)	2500	2500	2500	2600
Boot space (litres)	392	350	328	257
Fuel Tank Capacity (litres)	45	45	48	42
NCAP Rating	Not Tested	Not Tested	4 Star (Global NCAP)	5 Star (Global NCAP)

Conclusion :

A detailed comparison of different cars is compared here. All the cars are good in their own way. As far as Mr Pughazhyendhii is concerned I would suggest he buy Mahindra XUV300 as the car has 5 star NCAP safety rating. The car is also equipped with a turbocharger which increases the efficiency of the car.