Benchmarking

Benchmarking

Automotive Benchmarking is the process of analysing the choices of similar products based on the selection factor and deducing it to final conclusion.

     Benchmarking is a process of measuring the performance of a company's products, services, or process against those of another business considered to be the best in the industry.The point of bench marking is to identify internal opportunities for improvement. 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. A specific, distinctive vehicle attribute branding is essential to make cars unique and competitive.

As a first step on the way, vehicle manufacturers have to benchmark their vehicles in the competitive environment in order to understand and to strengthen or improve the potential of their vehicles.The objective assessment delivers an overview of results for main attributes in a competitive scatter-bands.

• Performance

• Drivability

• Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)

• Sound / NVH

• RDE: CO2 / Real life fuel consumption

• Pollutant emissions

• Friction

• Thermal, energy management

• Vehicle dynamics, handling

• Ride Comfort

         Benchmarking helps to Monitor competitors  key strategies and implement better marketing tactics.Evaluate and prioritise improvement opportunities . Enhancing the quality of their products and services.Identifying performance gaps and revealing hidden opportunities in the market

Requirements for benchmarking

Pughazhyendhii lives in Bangalore which is a highly crowded city. 

His Family comprises five members 

The person visits his native place Madurai which is 500kms away from Bangalore once a month. 

The person will be using his car to commute to his office. 

His budget falls between 8 to 10 lakhs on road.

Pughazhyendhii  is fond of big cars

Given data --

Total capacity needed = 5 seater

Budget = 8 to 10 lakhs

Average  kms travelling monthly = 1500 kms [20*25(daily)+1000 kms monthly]

Area = Bangalore city

Type of car required = compact SUV.

According to the data  customer require a compact  5 seater SUV with automatic transmission which also provide mileage, comfort space etc 

Vehicles taken for benchmarking are

1) NISSAN MAGNITE

2)MARUTI SUZUKI VITARA BREZZA

3)TATA NEXON

4)HYUNDAI VENUE

1)NISSAN MAGNITE

Nissan Magnite is currently available in Petrol engine. The 999 cc Petrol engine generates a power of 71.02bhp@6250rpm and a torque of 96nm@3500rpm. Nissan Magnite is available in both Manual & Automatic transmission. Nissan Magnite has a boot space of 336 Liters litres and ground clearance of 205 mm. The kerb weight of Magnite is 939 Kg. In configurations, Nissan Magnite has a dimensions of 3994 mm in length, 1758 mm in width and 1572 mm^3 mm in height.

Nissan Magnite Price: The Magnite is priced between Rs 5.85 lakh and Rs 10.56 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Nissan Magnite Variants: The sub-4m SUV is offered in six trims: XE, XL, XV Executive, XV, XV Premium, and XV Premium (O).

Nissan Magnite Seating Capacity: It is a five-seater.

Nissan Magnite Engine and Transmission: Nissan offers two petrol engine options: a naturally aspirated 1-litre (72PS/96Nm) and a 1-litre turbo-petrol (100PS/160Nm). Both are mated to a 5-speed manual, while the turbo unit also gets the choice of a CVT (152Nm with the CVT).

Nissan Magnite Features: It gets an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 16-inch dual-tone alloy wheels, LED headlamps with LED DRLs, and auto AC with rear vents. The higher-specced XV and XV Premium come with a Tech Pack, which further include a wireless phone charger, air purifier, JBL speakers, ambient lighting, and puddle lamps. 

Nissan Magnite Safety: Passenger safety is taken care of by dual front airbags, rear parking sensors, ABS with EBD, hill start assist, and electronic stability control.

pros-

• the Magnite looks really good…that handsome face is a head-turner
• Sheer value-for-money pricing. Turbo-petrol with a proper AT under 10 lakhs!
• Peppy performance from the Magnite’s 1.0L turbo-petrol engine
• Smooth well-tuned CVT in a sea of jerky AMTs. Has Sport and L modes too
• Healthy legroom for rear passengers. Space packaging is brilliant
• Impressive kit (cruise control, LED headlamps, rear air-con vents, 360-degree camera, wireless charger, wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay

cons-

• Stiff & basic ride quality. You feel each and everything on the road
• The Magnite is built to a cost and it does show, especially in the budget-grade cabin
• Lower variants’ 1.0L naturally-aspirated petrol is a boring, unimpressive engine
• Clunky, firm MT gearshift & a clutch pedal that has more weight than it should
• No diesel option available on the Nissan Magnite
• Cabin is narrower than some competitors. Narrow width makes it best for 4 adults
• Missing features such as an auto dimming IRVM, full-size spare tyre…
• Doesn't have the finesse or quality of premium crossovers like the XUV300, Sonet etc.
• Nissan's tiny dealership network & lousy after-sales quality

2)MARUTI SUZUKI VITARA BREZZA

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza Engine

The Vitara Brezza utilises a 1.5-litre K15B petrol engine that develops 105PS of power and 138Nm of torque. It’s offered with two transmission options: a 5-speed manual and AMT . The variants also come with Maruti’s 12V mild-hybrid system, which adds functions like start-stop and torque boost assist.

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza Variants

The Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza is offered in four variants: LXI, VXI, ZXI and ZXI+. Colour options are red, orange, silver, white, grey and blue. It also comes in dual-tone colours: red/black, blue/black and grey/orange.

Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza Features

The exterior features LED headlamps, dual-tone alloy wheels, as well as LED tail lamps. Inside, it comes with Maruti’s 7-inch infotainment system, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, climate control, cruise control, a multi-info display, steering-mounted audio control, as well as keyless entry with push-button start. Safety features include dual airbags, ABS with EBD, rear parking sensors, and a rear view camera.

Vitara Brezza price starts from Rs. 7.84 Lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Vitara Brezza comes in 9 variants with 9 colour options. Vitara Brezza automatic models starts from Rs. 10.12 Lakh and comes in 3 variants to choose among.

Pros

1. Competent 1.5-L Petrol Engine

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 high way usage.

2. Smooth Automatic Gearbox

 the new Vitara Brezza now gets a 4-speed torque converter unit which is quick and smooth with shifts.

3. Complaint Suspension Setup

The overall suspension setup gives a great balance between ride-and-handling. The slow-speed ride is comfortable while the high-speed stability too is impressive.

4. Extensive Features List

The car gets a number of features such as LED headlights, auto wipers, cruise control, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, etc.

5. Excellent After-Sales Service

We all are well versed with 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.

Cons

1. No Diesel Engine!

The older 1.3-L DDiS engine was not upgraded to meet the upcoming BS6 norms 

2. Small Boot

While the boot is wide and boxy, the overall capacity of the boot is not impressive. t.

3. Not So Responsive Engine

While the refinement levels of this new engine are impressive, the overall response to the throttle inputs could have been better. 4. Dated 4-Speed AT

While the new automatic gearbox is smooth and quick, it is extremely old now. The market has moved on to better and more modern gearboxes and the brand should consider replacing this gearbox with a better unit. 

5. Missing Features

While the features list of the vehicle is long, there are few important features which are missing from the package. For starters, features like six airbags, sunroof, leather seats, seat ventilation, etc are missing. 

3) TATA NEXON

Nexon Specs, Features and Price

The Tata Nexon is available in both petrol and diesel engine options. The 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine generates 118bhp at 5,500rpm and 170Nm of torque at 1,750rpm. On the other hand, the 1.5-litre diesel engine produces 108bhp at 4,000rpm and 260Nm of torque at 1,500rpm. Transmission options include a six-speed manual gearbox and an optional AMT unit.

Exterior design

The Nexon is now sleeker and features a chiselled look instead of the earlier muscular and rounded-off look. The compact SUV gets a new dual-barrel projector headlamp setup with integrated tri-arrow LED DRLs. The lower air dam is now larger and it features a large ‘tri-arrow’ themed grille. The vehicle rides on 16-inch wheels with a modern set of alloy wheels.

Interior and features

The Tata Nexon gets a neat and uncluttered dashboard layout. The compact SUV gets a new steering wheel featuring a smaller horn pad with premium looking multimedia and cruise control buttons. Behind the steering wheel is a fully digital instrument cluster along with an updated seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system. 

Colours: 

The Nexon is available in six colour options which include Foliage Green, Flame Red, Pure Silver, Daytona Grey, Calgary White, and Atlas Black.  

Seating capacity: 

Tata Nexon is available in a five-seat layout.

Pros:

1. Build Quality: 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.

2. Funky and Appealing Design Language: 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.

3. Diesel Engine: The 1.5-L diesel engine is not just powerful and refined but is extremely reliable in the long run as well. The driveability of this engine is impressive and the driving mods definitely make it more suitable for almost all the situations.

4. Ride-Handling Balance: The suspension of the Nexon is tuned to offer a supreme ride and handling balance. The car has sorted driving dynamics and in addition to this, remains extremely comfortable which being driven on badly patched up surfaces and rough roads.

5. Spacious and Practical Cabin: 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 are plenty of safety features and equipment on offer as well.

Cons:

2. After-Sales Service: The customers report that the Nexon as a product is a great car but sometimes the 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.

4)HYUNDAI VENUE

Variants 

The Hyundai Venue is available in E, S, S(O), S+, SX, and SX (O) variants. 

Market introduction 

The Hyundai Venue was first introduced in June 2019 whereas the facelift version was launched on 16 June, 2022. 

Engine and Specification 

The first one is the 1.2-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine that puts out 82bhp and 114Nm of torque and is mated only to a five-speed manual gearbox. Next up is the potent 1.0-litre turbo-petrol mill that is paired with a seven-speed DCT and a six-speed clutchless manual transmission. This motor delivers 118bhp and 172Nm of peak torque. The DCT version also benefits from paddle shifters and three drive modes – Eco, Normal, and Sport. 

Exterior 

Visually, the new Venue is fitted with a new front grille with a small square pattern in chrome finish and black surrounds. The turn indicators are on either side of the bonnet while the headlamps are mounted on the reworked bumpers which now get new wider air inlets instead of fog lamps. Other changes include a chrome window line, a new dual-tone design for alloy wheels, and split tail lamps with a connecting light bar and revised graphics.  

Interior 

Inside, the cabin looks modern with the utilisation of black and beige colours on the dashboard, door pads, and seat upholstery. The new Hyundai Venue is also equipped with an air purifier, a digital instrument cluster, a four-spoke steering wheel, reclining rear seats, and an electrically-adjustable driver seat.  

The touchscreen infotainment system of the Venue has been updated with support for Alexa and Google assistant in 10 regional languages. Other highlights include over 60 connected car features, automatic climate control, electric sunroof, push start/stop button, and cooled glovebox.  

Seating capacity 

The Hyundai Venue can accommodate five passengers. 

Pros

2. Hyundai has an array of powerful and efficient engines on offer with the Venue - A frugal 1.2-litre petrol engine, a powerful 1.0-litre turbo petrol, and for the diesel lovers, a capable 1.5-litre

3. The Venue is loaded with smart features

4. The Venue is also backed by Hyundai's strong after-sales support

Cons

1. The styling of the Venue might not attract those looking for a bold, flashy SUV with a lot of chrome accents.

2. While features packed, the cabin space inside the Venue is not the best, especially at the rear. It's a 4-seater SUV at best and taller occupants might not be very comfortable on long journeys.

3. No automatic diesel option on offer.

CONCLUSION

TATA NEXON is the best suited car for Mr. D.S. Pughazhyendhii according to his requirements.

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. since he is travelling 1000 km monthly with his family it is safe for him

The 1.5-L diesel engine is not just powerful and refined but is extremely reliable in the long run as well. The driveability of this engine is impressive and the driving mods definitely make it more suitable for almost all the situations and it has automatic varient. ithis wiil provide better mileage and smoot driving for his long drive.

 The suspension of the Nexon is tuned to offer a supreme ride and handling balance. The car has sorted driving dynamics and in addition to this, remains extremely comfortable which being driven on badly patched up surfaces and rough roads.so he can use the car easily for his daily comute to his office in the banglore metro traffic.

 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 are plenty of safety features and equipment on offer as well.this  will help him to travel with his family comfortably.

nexon fulfills the customer requirement of a  5 seater SUV with automatic transmission which also provide mileage, comfort space  and safety.