What is Benchmarking?
Benchmarking involves a structured comparison between similar products, services, or processes on some dimensions of performance. For example, it can be used to compare the availability and delivery of features in a product and in this form often provides the basis of consumer tests and reviews. These look at products and services and provide recommendations based on which is best or some form of ranking amongst competitors.
It is particularly useful when comparing not only performance but also practice – in other words, what do the different organizations do to enable that performance to be delivered? And applied in this way it is a powerful tool in process innovation sin e studying how the ‘best’ achieve their performance can provide powerful clues for changing the way processes operate. Process benchmarking of this kind can operate at several levels:
- Between similar processes in the same factory or service branch.
- Between different factories or service branches.
- Between different competing organizations.
- Between different sectors using the same process.
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 road. Please suggest to him options so that he will buy a good car for his family.
Note: Pughazhyendhii is fond of big cars.
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Name
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Maruti Vitara Brezza
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Mahindra XUV300
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Tata Punch
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Hyundai Venue
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Tata Nexon
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Variant
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VXI
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W4
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Creative
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S Plus
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XM S
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On-Road Price
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Rs. 9,80,468
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Rs. 9,12,484
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Rs. 9,39,674
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Rs. 9,81,163
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Rs. 10,06,409
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Service Cost
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Rs. 6,619
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Rs. 3,499
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-
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Rs. 2,837
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Rs. 3,570
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Engine Type
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K15B Petrol Engine
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1.2L Turbo Petrol
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1.2 Revotron Petrol
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Kappa 1.2 L MPi Petrol
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1.2L Revotron Turbocharged
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Displacement (cc)
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1462
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1197
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1199
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1197
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1199
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No Of Cylinder
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4
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3
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3
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4
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3
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Max Power (bhp@rpm)
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103.26bhp@6000rpm
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108.62bhp@5000rpm
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84.48bhp@6000rpm
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81.86bhp@6000rpm
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118.36bhp@5500rpm
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Max Torque (nm@rpm)
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138nm@4400rpm
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200Nm@2000-3500rpm
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113nm@3300rpm
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113.76nm@4000rpm
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170Nm@4000rpm
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Transmission Type
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Manual
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Manual
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Manual
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Manual
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Manual
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Gear Box
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5 Speed
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6 Speed
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5 Speed
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5 Speed
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6 Speed
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Fuel Type
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Petrol
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Petrol
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Petrol
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Petrol
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Petrol
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Mileage (ARAI)
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17.03 kmpl
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17.0 kmpl
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18.97 kmpl
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17.52 kmpl
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17.52 kmpl
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Fuel Tank Capacity
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48.0 (Litres)
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42.0 (Litres)
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37.0 (Litres)
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45.0 (Litres)
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44.0 (Litres)
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Dimensions (L x W x H)
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3995 x 1790 x 1640
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3995 x 1821 x 1627
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3827 x 1742 x 1615
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3995 x 1770 x 1605
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3993 x 1811 x 1606
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Seating Capacity
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5
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5
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5
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5
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5
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Boot Space (Litres)
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328
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259
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366
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350
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350
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Power Steering
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Anti-Lock Braking System
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Anti-Theft Alarm
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Yes
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No
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-
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No
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No
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No Of Airbags
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2
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2
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2
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2
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2
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Crash Test Rating
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4-Star
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5-Star
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5-Star
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4-Star
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5-Star
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Advantages
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- The new K15 1.5-L engine is not just smooth and refined but also gets a strong low-end. The linear power delivery and decent fuel economy make it a great car for the city as well as for highway usage.
- Unlike the outgoing model which came with a jerky AMT gearbox, the new Vitara Brezza now gets a 4-speed torque converter unit which is quick and smooth with shifts.
- The overall suspension setup gives a great balance between ride-and-handling. The slow-speed ride is comfortable while the high-speed stability is impressive.
- The car gets a number of features such as LED headlights, auto wipers, cruise control, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, etc.
- We all are well versed in the after-sales support provided by Maruti Suzuki India. In fact, the Brezza is one of the most affordable and dependable cars in the segment.
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- The XUV300 boasts the longest wheelbase and is also the widest car in the segment. This provides this car with great driving dynamics. While the long wheelbase gives the Mahindra XUV300 supreme high-speed stability, the wide track makes it a fun car while tackling tight corners at significant speeds.
- The fit and finish levels inside the cabin are commendable and the quality of the plastic feels premium. In all, the cabin feels solid and will definitely age well over the ownership years.
- A large chrome grille, sleek headlamps, vertical LED DRLs and segment-leading width gives this vehicle a great road presence. The overall design language of the vehicle makes it look appealing and makes it standard apart from the rest of its rivals.
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- Snazzy styling! We love the mini-Harrier face and tight rear end.
- 366-litre boot is accommodating.
- 1.2L NA petrol offers good driveability in the city. Performance is acceptable <90 kmph.
- Sorted road manners & reassuring high-speed stability.
- Enjoyable Harman 6-speaker ICE. One of the better systems in this segment.
- Features such as auto headlamps & wipers, cruise control, Traction Pro (AMT), cooled glovebox…with factory customization packs too.
- Uses the well-rated platform of the Altroz. The safety package includes dual airbags, CSC, brake sway control, ISOFIX etc.
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- The Venue comes with the design and proportions of a proper SUV. It's also one of the most attractive offerings in this segment.
- Hyundai has an array of powerful and efficient engines on offer with the Venue - A frugal 1.2-litre petrol engine.
- The Venue is loaded with smart features like the 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay & Android auto, Bluelink connected car tech, air purifier, wireless charging, sunroof, and 60:40 split rear seat, among others.
- The Venue is also backed by Hyundai's strong after-sales support. The SUV also comes with 3 years / Unlimited Km warranty, along with 3 years of Road Side Assistance (RSA) service.
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- The Tata Nexon is one of the very few cars in the market that scored a perfect five-star rating in the crash tests conducted by GNCAP. Moreover, the overall build quality of the car is superb and the car definitely feels extremely solid.
- With the launch of the facelifted model, the Nexon now is offered as one of the best-looking compact SUVs in the market. In addition to this, the new headlights and the new front bumper design makes it look much more premium and upmarket than most of its rivals.
- There is an ample amount of space inside the cabin and the seats too are comfortable. There is no dearth of storage spaces inside the cabin and there is plenty of safety features and equipment on offer as well.
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Disadvantages
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- While the boot is wide and boxy, the overall capacity of the boot is not impressive. The car gets 328 litres of boot space which happens to be the second smallest boot size in the segment.
- While the refinement levels of this new engine are impressive, the overall response to the throttle inputs could have been better. Hardcore driving enthusiasts will not appreciate the response from the engine if it is extremely uninvolving to drive.
- While the features list of the vehicle is long, there are a few important features that are missing from the package. For starters, features like six airbags, sunroof, leather seats, seat ventilation, etc are missing. In addition to this, the car also misses out on features like wireless charging.
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- With a boot carrying capacity of 257 litres, the XUV300 gets a smaller boot when compared to its rivals. In addition to this, the loading bay is comparatively high which not only takes a toll on the overall boot space but also makes it difficult to load and unload heavy luggage. On the positive side, the boot is wide and offers a lot more usable space than most other cars.
- The space in the driver's footwell is at a premium and those with a bigger shoe size will definitely have to struggle to adjust. In addition to this, the absence of a dead pedal too is felt during long highway journeys.
- While the car comes with a long list of features, a few essential and feel-good features like rear ac vents, wireless charging, front-seat ventilation and telescopic adjustment for the steering wheel is missing from the package.
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- 1.2L NA petrol’s highway performance is weak. At 100 kmph & up, more noise than action.
- The suspension has a firm tune (R16 variants). It is compliant & liveable, but you do feel bad roads.
- Jerky and slow AMT gearbox when competitors offer you smoother CVTs and torque converters.
- 3-cylinder petrol cannot match the competition’s 4-cylinders in refinement & NVH.
- No turbo petrol or diesel option. Period. Rivals & other Tata cars offer both.
- Some missing goodies such as an auto-dimming IRVM, split rear seat, rear AC vents, full-size spare.
- Tata's after-sales service quality is a hit or miss. Remains a gamble.
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- The styling of the Venue might not attract those looking for a bold, flashy SUV with a lot of chrome accents.
- The Venue is not the best handling car out there; the steering is a bit light and lacks some feedback.
- The Bluelink technology is smart, but the system comes with an embedded sim, thus its usage and functionality depend highly on the signal strength. Also, while using the Bluelink app via your smartphone, you notice that it's not the quickest setup.
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- The customers report that the Nexon as a product is a great car but sometimes they do face issues with the after-sale service and maintenance of the vehicle. Tata should definitely improve the overall after-sales experience to meet the customers' expectations.
- While the slow city ride quality of the new Nexon is decent, it is nowhere close to what we have seen in other Tata cars. The overall ride quality does tend to get a little jiggly on low speeds.
- Despite being one of the most VFM products in the segment, the new Nexon does miss out on a number of essential features which would have definitely made it a better product.
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Conclusion: After benchmarking all these 5 cars the conclusion comes is all cars have similar milage. For the long routes, Hyundai Venue will be preferred as it has a better engine compared to others that have some performance or noise issues. If Mr D.S. Pughazhyendhii is comfortable with a 4-Star Rating car then I will suggest Hyundai Venue as it has low service cost, Decent Boot space, 5 Passengers can sit, Good experience in both citiy and long route, good after-sales service and many more things. If he does not want to compromise with safety want a 5-Star car then I will suggest Tata Nexon from these 5 cars.