Benchmarking
CASE STUDY – BENCHMARKING THE AUTOMOBILE
The purpose of the paper was to help Mr D.S. Pughazhyendhii to choose the best car which fulfils his necessity by benchmarking the latest available cars on the market so that he will buy a good car for his family. 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
BENCHMARKING
Benchmarking is defined as the process of measuring products, services, and processes against those of organizations known to be leaders in one or more aspects of their operations.
The shortlist of the cars that are presently available in the market as per requirements:
- Nissan Magnite
- Tata Punch
- Maruti Baleno
- Tata Altroz
- Honda Amaze
- Nissan Magnite:
The Nissan Magnite has 1 Petrol Engine on offer. The Petrol engine is 999 cc. It is available with Manual & Automatic transmission. Depending upon the variant and fuel type the Magnite has a mileage of & Ground clearance of Magnite is 205. The Magnite is a 5 seater 3 cylinder car and has a length of 3994mm, a width of 1758mm and a wheelbase of 2500mm.
Specification of Nissan Magnite
| ARAI Mileage | 17.7 kmpl |
| City Mileage | 13.6 kmpl |
| Fuel Type | Petrol |
| Engine Displacement (cc) | 999 |
| No. of cylinder | 3 |
| Max Power (bhp@rpm) | 98.63bhp@5000rpm |
| Max Torque (nm@rpm) | 152nm@2200-4400rpm |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| TransmissionType | Automatic |
| Boot Space (Litres) | 336 |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 40.0 |
| Body Type | SUV |
| Ground Clearance Unladen | 205 |
Key Features of Nissan Magnite
- Key Features of Nissan Magnite
- Power Steering
- Power Windows Front
- Anti Lock Braking System
- Air Conditioner
- Driver Airbag
- Passenger Airbag
- Automatic Climate Control
- Fog Lights
- FrontAlloy Wheels
Pros:
· Smartly designed sub-compact SUV. Very well proportioned
· Spacious and practical cabin. A good SUV for the family
· Comfortable ride quality. Bad roads can be tackled with confidence
· Turbo petrol engine offers good driveability and punch.
· Impressive features list
Cons:
· Fitment quality is decent but not premium. Doesn’t feel as rich inside as a Sonet/Venue/XUV300
· Not an exciting or fun to drive the car, even with the turbo petrol engine
· No diesel engine option
· Nissan’s sales and service network is currently lagging behind the competition
2. Tata punch:
The Tata Punch has 1 Petrol Engine on offer. The Petrol engine is 1199 cc. It is available with Manual & Automatic transmission. Depending upon the variant and fuel type the Punch has a mileage of 18.82 to 18.97 kmpl. The Punch is a 5 seater 3 cylinder car and has a length of 3827, a width of 1742 and a wheelbase of 2445.
Key Specifications of Tata Punch
| ARAI Mileage | 18.82 kmpl |
| City Mileage | 14.42 kmpl |
| Fuel Type | Petrol |
| Engine Displacement (cc) | 1199 |
| No. of cylinder | 3 |
| Max Power (bhp@rpm) | 84.48bhp@6000rpm |
| Max Torque (nm@rpm) | 113Nm@3300+/-100rpm |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| TransmissionType | Automatic |
| Boot Space (Litres) | 336 |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 37.0 |
| Body Type | SUV |
Key Features of Tata Punch
- Power Steering
- Power Windows Front
- Anti Lock Braking System
- Air Conditioner
- Driver Airbag
- Passenger Airbag
- Automatic Climate Control
- Fog Lights
- FrontAlloy Wheels
Pros:
· Striking looks
· High-quality cabin
· Great interior space and comfort
· Ride comfort over bad roads
· Mild off-road capability
· 5-star Global NCAP safety rating
Cons:
· Engine feels short on power for highway drives
· Dated touchscreen infotainment system
· No charging port or cup holders for rear-seat passengers
3. Maruti Baleno:
The Maruti Baleno has 1 Petrol Engine on offer. The Petrol engine is 1197 cc. It is available with Manual & Automatic transmission. Depending upon the variant and fuel type the Baleno has a mileage of 22.35 to 22.94 kmpl. The Baleno is a 5 seater 4 cylinder car and has a length of 3990, a width of 1745 and a wheelbase of 2520.
Key Specifications of Maruti Baleno
| ARAI Mileage | 22.94 kmpl |
| City Mileage | 19.0 kmpl |
| Fuel Type | Petrol |
| Engine Displacement (cc) | 1197 |
| No. of cylinder | 4 |
| Max Power (bhp@rpm) | 88.50bhp@6000rpm |
| Max Torque (nm@rpm) | 113Nm@4400rpm |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| TransmissionType | Automatic |
| Boot Space (Litres) | 318 |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 37.0 |
| Body Type | HATCHBACK |
Key Features of Maruti Baleno
- Power Steering
- Power Windows Front
- Anti Lock Braking System
- Air Conditioner
- Driver Airbag
- Passenger Airbag
- Automatic Climate Control
- Fog Lights
- FrontAlloy Wheels
Pros:
- Spacious interior
- Well built on the inside and out. Fitment quality feels premium now
- Well-loaded features list
- Refined and enjoyable to use the petrol engine
- Comfortable ride quality even over bad roads
Cons:
- AMT is good but not as sophisticated as CVT/DCT
- Seat cushioning is very soft which may cause problems for long drives.
- The boot loading lip is very high
- Not a sporty car to drive
4. Tata Altroz
The Tata Altroz has 1 Diesel Engine and 1 Petrol Engine on offer. The Diesel engine is 1497 cc while the Petrol engine is 1199 cc. It is available with Automatic & Manual transmission. Depending upon the variant and fuel type the Altroz has a mileage of 18.13 to 25.11 kmpl & Ground clearance of the Altroz is 165. The Altroz is a 5 seater 4 cylinder car and has a length of 3990, a width of 1755 and a wheelbase of 2501.
Key Specifications of Tata Altroz
| ARAI Mileage | 25 kmpl |
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Engine Displacement (cc) | 1497 |
| No. of cylinder | 4 |
| Max Power (bhp@rpm) | 88.77bhp@6000rpm |
| Max Torque (nm@rpm) | 200nm@1250-3000rpm |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| TransmissionType | Manual |
| Boot Space (Litres) | 345 |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 37.0 |
| Body Type | HATCHBACK |
| Ground Clearance Unladen | 165 |
Key Features of Tata Altroz
- Power Steering
- Power Windows Front
- Anti Lock Braking System
- Air Conditioner
- Driver Airbag
- Passenger Airbag
- Automatic Climate Control
- Fog Lights
- FrontAlloy Wheels
Pros:
- The turbo-petrol engine offers enjoyable performance
- Five-star safety rating
- Leatherette upholstery makes the cabin feel more premium
- Best-in-class ride and handling package
- Automatic transmission is smooth and takes the stress out of city driving
Cons:
· Premium features like ventilated seats, wireless charger, and sunroof still missing
· Cabin insulation is lacking
· Naturally-aspirated petrol engine lacks power and refinement
· Automatic not offered with turbo-petrol engine
5. Honda Amaze
The Honda Amaze has 1 Diesel Engine and 1 Petrol Engine on offer. The Diesel engine is 1498 cc while the Petrol engine is 1199 cc. It is available with Manual & Automatic transmission. Depending upon the variant and fuel type the Amaze has a mileage of 18.6 to 24.7 kmpl. The Amaze is a 5 seater 4 cylinder car and has a length of 3995, a width of 1695 and a wheelbase of 2470.
Key Specifications of Honda Amaze
| ARAI Mileage | 24.7 kmpl |
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Engine Displacement (cc) | 1498 |
| No. of cylinder | 4 |
| Max Power (bhp@rpm) | 79.12bhp@3600rpm |
| Max Torque (nm@rpm) | 160nm@1750rpm |
| Seating Capacity | 5 |
| TransmissionType | Automatic |
| Boot Space (Litres) | 420 |
| Fuel Tank Capacity | 37.0 |
| Body Type | SEDAN |
Key Features of Honda Amaze
- Power Steering
- Power Windows Front
- Anti Lock Braking System
- Air Conditioner
- Driver Airbag
- Passenger Airbag
- Automatic Climate Control
- Fog Lights
- FrontAlloy Wheels
Pros:
- One of the better-looking sedans in the segment
- Punchy diesel engine
- Automatic option with both engines
- Comfortable ride quality
- Rear seat experience
Cons:
· Lackluster petrol engine
· Misses some features like auto-dimming IRVM and adjustable rear headrests.
CONCLUSION
On Comparing all the above cars Like
- Nissan Magnite
- Tata Punch
- Maruti Baleno
- Tata Altroz
- Honda Amaze
I highly recommend Tata Altroz as it has a 5-star rating GNCAP, It has greater mileage and it is a Diesel car it will be suited for Mr Pugalendhi as he will be using the car for long driving and in the city as well. It also has a high spacious interior as there are 5 members in the family. The Boot space provided in Tata Nexon is really impressive and also it will be very useful for Mr Pugalendhi and his family as that boot capacity will come in handy to load enough luggage when travelling to Native.