Benchmarking

Benchmarking:

Benchmarking is a comparison to evaluate the performance of a product or a process or a service with its competition in different aspects to get the best output possible. It is a generalised process often incorporated by industries to develop their production and also to boost their sales against the current competition in the market. It is broadly executed either internally between different sectors/units within the same organisation or externally by comparing its own products, processes or services with those of another organisation.

Benchmarking can be categorised into three specific types:
i.Process Benchmarking ii.Performance Benchmarking iii.Strategic Benchmarking
The above three types branch into several sub-categories based on the goal or objective of the benchmarking process.

In the automobile industry, Benchmarking is one of the initial stages of a Vehicle Development Process. It is a type of Product Benchmarking and falls under the Pre-Design and Development stage wherein the engineers are assigned the task to enlist, compare and evaluate certain features of the vehicle in development against its competitors under the same segment. Specifications, price, materials, manufacturability, customer requirement, carryover compatibility and other important aspects are studied. Benchmarking is often carried out in multiple levels until a final optimal configuration is obtained.

Benchmarking Report for Mr.D.S.Pughazhyendhii:

Information about the customer:

• Location: Bangalore
• Family members: 5 (his wife, 5-year-old son, his parents and himself)
• Commute: daily to work, highly crowded city means high traffic
• Frequency of long trips: once per month to Madurai (500km from his city)
• Budget: ₹8lacs - ₹10lacs
• He is fond of big cars

Factors to be noted based on the information at hand:

• Availability of the vehicle and its service centres in the city where he lives
• Safe, comfortable, and spacious enough for his entire family
• Automatic Transmission is suggested for ease in daily traffic
• Petrol car is suggested as the vehicle is mainly used for daily commute and long drives are not frequent enough. Although fuel economy is a major factor to take a decision against a diesel car.
• We can try to convince him to slightly increase his budget in order to get the best features possible
• As he is fond of big cars, Sedans, MUVs and SUVs can be suggested. But in the given price range we can only suggest him with sub-4m SUVs as bigger SUVs are expensive

Taking the provided information into consideration, the following list of cars can be considered as candidates suitable for benchmarking:

• Maruti- Ertiga, Brezza; NEXA S-Cross
• Renault- Triber
• Ford- Ecosport
• Tata- Punch, Nexon, Kicks
• Nissan- Magnite
• Hyundai-Verna, Venue
• Honda- City 4th edition
• Toyota- Urban Cruiser
• Mahindra- KUV 100, XUV 300
• Kia- Sonet

Among the above listed cars, the best suitable candidates are:

• Nissan Magnite
• Tata Punch
• Renault Triber
• Ford Ecosport

	Magnite	Punch	Triber	Ecosport
Make	Nissan	Tata	Renault	Ford
Segment	SUV (sub 4m)	SUV (sub 4m)	MUV	Compact SUV
Variant	Turbo XV	Accomplished AMT	RXZ Easy-R AMT	Ambiente
Fuel	Petrol	Petrol	Petrol	Petrol/Diesel
Transmission	MT	AMT	AMT	MT
Mileage (in kmpl)	City: 19.33 ARAI: 20	City: 14.42 ARAI: 18.97	City: 15 ARAI: 18.2	City: 13.86/15.53 ARAI: 15.9/21.7
On-Road Price (in ₹lacs)	10.5	9.8	9.67	10.7/10.76
Dimensions (lxwxh, in mm)	3994 x 1758 x 1572	3827 x 1742 x 1615	3990 x 1739 x 1643	3998 x 1765 x 1647
Seats	5	5	5/6/7	5
Boot Space (in ltr)	336	366	5-seater: 625 6-seater: 320 7-seater: 84	355

Nissan Magnite:

• Exterior
  
  • Dominating Front Grill
  • Sleek bi-projector LED headlamps with LED turn indicators
  • First-in-segment L-shaped LED daytime running lamps with LED fog lamps
  • Wide split-signature taillamps
• Interior
  
  • High visibility angle
  • Steering mounted audio and meter controls
  • Ergonomic cockpit layout
  • Comfortable couple seat distance
  • Ample rear knee room
• Space
  • 336L Boot Space with 60:40 Split
  • Rear Arm-rest with 2 Cupholders and 1 Mobile Holder
  • 10ltr Glovebox
  • 1L Bottle Holder
• Tech
  • Smartwatch Connectivity
  • TFT Drive Assist
  • Wireless connectivity to Android Auto
  • 360° view cameras
• Comfort & Safety
  • Hill-start assist
  • High Ground Clearance - 205mm
  • Antilock Braking System (ABD) + Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
  • Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
  • Traction Control System (TCS)
  • Dual Front Airbags
• Accessories
  • Wireless Charger
  • Air Purifier
  • JBL speakers
  • Puddle Lamp
  • Ambient Lighting
  • Scuff Plate

Pros	Cons
Bold Design with High Ground clearance Best mileage in the city compared to other three cars Short turning radius of 5m comfortable leg room for rear passengers value for money	Hard steering and stiff ride experience missing quality due to low build cost lack of Nissan service centres in Bangalore lousy after-sales quality due to tiny dealership network

Renault Triber:

• Exterior
  
  • Triple-edge chrome front grille
  • SUV skid plates-front & rear
  • LED turn indicator on ORVMs
  • Eagle beak split taillamps
  • Dual tone Exterior
  • Styled Flex wheels
• Interior
  
  • Dual-tone dashboard with silver accents
  • 3D spacer Fabric upholstery
  • Fully adjustable first and second row seats
• Space
  • 625ltr Boot Space in 5-seater configuration
  • 320ltr Boot Space in 6-seater configuration
  • 84ltr Boot Space in 7-seater configuration
  • 4.3ltr centre console with two cup holders
  • 4.4ltr Upper Glovebox and 7ltr Lower Glovebox
  • Door pockets can hold 2 water bottles each
• Tech
  • 20.32cm touchscreen mediaNAV evolution
  • Steering mounter audio and phone controls
  • LED instrument cluster
  • Keyless entry with Smart access car
  • Push start/stop button
• Comfort & Safety
  • 6-way adjustable driver seat
  • Four Airbags
  • High ground clearance - 182mm
  • cooled storage in centre console
  • Antilock Braking System (ABD) + Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
  • Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC)
  • Traction Control System (TCS)
• Accessories
  • Roof carrier rails
  • Body side cladding
  • Spoiler
  • Alloy wheels
  • Designer mat
  • Trunk mat
  • IRVM back cover
  • Seat covers
  • illuminated logo
  • ambient lighting
  • illuminate scuff plate
  • ORVM blinker
  • puddle lamp

Pros	Cons
Modular seating experience makes every ride configurable with seating combinations CVT makes it easier to drive in heavy traffic Great mileage despite being a CVT version Loads of boot space (625ltr) with 5 seats Tons of equipment for a budget car Highest variant is within budget	Tiny 1.0ltr petrol engine lacks the thrill in driving Moderate NVH levels single-tone budget horn needs an upgrade Spare wheel size compromised in exchange for the massive boot space (thinner than the normal wheel)

Tata Punch:

• Exterior
  • Projector headlamps and LED DRLs
  • Bold LED taillamps
  • Diamond cut alloy wheels
  • Stylish roof rails
  • 90° opening doors
  • Cladding on doors, wheel arches and sill cladding
• Interior
  • Stylish premium dashboard
  • Premium upholstery with tri-arrow design
  • Spacious interiors and rear flat floors
  • Body coloured airvents
  • D cut steering wheel
• Space
  • Cooled glove box
  • over 25 utility spaces
  • Rear armrest
  • 366ltr Boot space
• Tech
  • auto headlamps
  • rain sensing wipers
  • Idle Stop Start
  • Floating Infotainment by Harman
  • 7" TFT instrument cluster
  • Connected car safety
  • IRA technology
• Comfort & Safety
  • Fortified Cabin
  • Dual Airbags
  • High ground clearance - 187mm
  • High seating with height adjustable driver seat
  • Auto fold ORVMs
  • Reverse parking camera
  • Steering mounted controls
  • Cruise control
  • Front foglamps with cornering function
  • Antilock Braking System (ABD) + Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
  • Supports ISOfix

Pros	Cons
5-stars in GNCAP Completely customizable Ample boot space of 366ltr Great quality sound system by Harman 1.2ltr petrol engine with AMT ensures convenient driving even in crowded cities Top end variant is within budget	Smaller cabin suitable for 4 adults Highway performance is weak Firm suspension makes you feel the road bumps Tata's after-sales service quality still needs little improvement jerky and slow AMT gearbox when compared to CVT competitors

Ford Ecosport:

• Exterior
  • Sleek Painted Roof Rails
  • Stunning Grille Design
  • Power Fold Mirror with puddle lamp
  • Stylish Alloy Wheels
  • High-performance High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps
  • Aerodynamic Design
• Interior
  • Electric Sun Roof
  • Comfortable and Stylish interiors
• Space
  • 20+ storage compartments
  • 60:40 split rear seats to create more space
  • Central console with armrest
  • Retractable arm-rest with two cup-holders in the rear seat
• Tech
  • SYNC 3 with 8" touchscreen
  • supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
  • Automatic Headlamps
  • Rain-sensing wipers
  • Climate control
  • Push Start/stop button
• Comfort & Safety
  • 6 Airbags
  • Emergency assistance
  • Antilock Braking System (ABD) + Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
  • Electric Stability Control (ESC)
  • Hill launch assist
  • Ford MyKey
  • Rear View Camera
  • Smart Entry with capacitive touch
  • 6-speed AT with paddle shift
  • Cruise Control with adjustable speed limiter device
  • Higher ground clearance
  • Auto-dimming mirror
• Accessories
  
  • Air Deflector (slimline weather shields)
  • Bonnet Airscoop
  • Bumper corner protector
  • Car cover
  • Carpet Floor mats
  • Chrome exhaust tip
  • Illuminated gear knob
  • Illuminated Scuff plates
  • mudflap
  • Pillows and neckrest
  • Rear bumper guard
  • Rear spoiler
  • Roof rack tray
  • Roof styling rails and cross bars
  • Smart ambient light
  • Spare wheel cover
  • sports pedal cover
  • Sun blinds
  • Trunk mat
  • Wheel arches

Pros	Cons
Best in class safety with 6 airbags Bold and Sporty look with solid build quality Loaded with technology and equipment Great ergonomics and comfort for driving on both city roads as well as highways Diesel Variant has higher mileage to its Petrol counterpart Low NVH levels, silent cabin.	Sadly, it has been discontinued in India Firm riding experience causes discomfort to rear passengers Thick A-pillars cause severe blind spots Best for 4 people due to narrow cabin width Slightly less boot space than competitors

Conclusion:

From the above-mentioned cars, priced at ₹9.8 lacs, Tata Punch Accomplished AMT meets most of Mr.D.S.Pughazhyendhii's needs. The Automated Manual Transmission is of great convenience as he can effortlessly commute to his work through the daily traffic without the strain of a Manual Transmission. Cruise Control is helpful during his 8hour-long 500km monthly trip to Madurai where-in he can relax his right leg from the accelerator. It has top-notch safety standards with a full 5-stars in the GNCAP. It supports ISOfix which is useful and safe for his 5-year-old son. The 90° opening doors make ingress and egress easy, even for his elderly parents. The taller seating, cushioning and side bolstering are perfect for daily driving. It is well equipped with features that make driving a wholesome experience. The boot space is sufficient enough to accommodate everyone's luggage. The city mileage is decent enough for an AMT car.

However, if he can relax his budget with a little margin, about ₹20k more than above, then he can opt for the top end version Tata Punch Creative MT which has all the features that the Accomplished variant has plus additional features such as projector headlamps, LED DRLs, R16 diamond cut alloy wheels, Roof rails, 7" TFT Instrument Cluster, auto headlamps, rain sensing wipers, auto folding ORVMs, fully automatic temperature control, cooled glove box, rear wiper + wash, rear defogger, leather steering & gear knob, puddle lamps and rear seat arm rest. This version is a Manual Tranmission and he can have better control on the car while driving. However, if Mr.D.S.Pughazhyendhii wants to buy the Creative AMT version, then he needs about ₹90k more than the Accomplished AMT version.