Service

Global Vehicle Benchmarking and Technology Scouting

Objectification of Subjective Driving Pleasure

Through our comprehensive AVL Global Vehicle Benchmarking program, you will gain in-depth understanding of the latest trends in vehicle development. Our standardized testing procedures, assessment and evaluation methodology, as well as the related metrics and KPIs provide you with a detailed technical analysis of your competitors’ vehicles.

Vehicle Benchmarking Technology Scouting

How does a vehicle model perform compared with its competitors? Does the vehicle have dynamic or comfortable characteristics? In which aspects is it the market leader and where can improvements be made?

Our Global Vehicle Benchmarking program tackles such questions relevant to end consumers and translates them into technical requirements. Our approach is to translate the end consumer’s subjective impressions into comparable, objective metrics that provide valuable input for your entire vehicle development. This input is incorporated into:

  • Product positioning, including creating customer market profiles and using these to create technical specifications for individual components
  • Continuous monitoring of the development status
  • Release testing

In addition to the objectified analysis of vehicles that are of interest to you as reference values, we also offer technology scouting. We analyze the market innovations of the near future with regard to the technologies installed in upcoming vehicles. For example, we determine which energy management measures have been implemented to optimize range.

We use the findings of competitor benchmarking and technology scouting to work with you on defining target values for your future products – depending on whether you prioritize driving performance, for example, or want a vehicle with harmonious character for the end consumer. After that, we break down the targets for the overall vehicle level and their physical values.

To enjoy long-term market success, you need to develop vehicles that are attractive to end consumers, convey driving pleasure, and have brand-specific characteristics. To this end, clear, objective targets are defined at an early stage of the development process.
Identifying competitors and market-leading models is a key factor.

The objective evaluation provides an overview of the following attributes:

Global Vehicle Benchmarking
Global Vehicle Benchmarking

Balancing Efficiency and Driving Pleasure

For example, costs, efficiency, and fuel economy need to be harmonized with driving performance, driving dynamics, and ride comfort.

Resolution of Conflicting Goals

Imbalanced trade-offs between competing goals – like efficiency and driving pleasure – can make a vehicle seem inharmonious. In the past, automobile manufacturers whose brands are defined by driving pleasure simply had to optimize the engine, transmission, and chassis for a dynamic driving experience – regardless of fuel consumption. However, what if the same vehicle is to meet both targets and keep its brand promise?

AVL Benchmarking Objectification of Subjective Driving Pleasure

Benchmarking is a proven approach for defining development goals. We offer an extensive database with more than 300 vehicles available on various markets, up to twelve main attributes, and up to 800 individual criteria for objective comparison with your competitors – for clear target definition and tracking. Based on this data, you can identify the strengths and potential for improvement of your direct competitors. This allows you to develop unique selling points and measures that pave your way to market leadership. We analyze the KPIs in detail. Our tool AVL-DRIVETM enables us to quantify subjective experiences. In the final report, we provide you with the results obtained with the corresponding interpretations and recommendations of our experts. These benchmarking results are easily incorporated into your positioning and development.

The results of our extensive benchmarking enable you to select the right technologies, react to market trends swiftly, and thus strengthen your market position.

Access to Comprehensive Database

We grant you access to our benchmark data pool with more than 300 vehicles available on various markets, up to twelve main attributes, and up to 800 individual criteria. Direct, flexible access enables you to incorporate the relevant data into your development at any time.

Objective Comparison with Your Competitors

Comprehensive evaluation metrics allow a characterization of the vehicles and a direct comparison with your competitors as a basis for setting your targets.

Support With Defining Targets

Extensive vehicle evaluations with up to twelve individual attributes enable specific targets to be set.

Sustainability and Technology Leadership 

With our understanding of future market requirements, the findings from our analyses, and our technology scouting, we provide you with support to enable you to remain competitive in the long term. 

Detailed Report and Expert Workshops

We continuously map and scout the competitive landscape. This gives us a comprehensive overview of the current and future competitive environment, with regard to driving performance, features, function, and efficiency. This is the basis for defining your development goals.

Each attribute analyzed in benchmarking consists of several criteria that objectively show how the vehicle measures up. We visualize the detailed results using scatter band diagrams depicting the competitive landscape. You can enter these intuitively and in doing so understand the characteristics and positioning of the evaluated vehicle on the market, and then define more specific targets.
In addition to your own vehicle concept, you can also select individual interesting models from the competition for display. This shows you your strengths and potential for improvement compared with your direct competitors. Our intuitive representation of the competitive environment provides a wealth of information and gives valuable insights into the respective vehicle segment and its current range of services.
The results flow into a detailed report. This report, the measured data, and the explanation, as well as optional additional expert workshops, are included in the scope of delivery.

Benchmarking Tailored to Your Needs

If you are interested in a test program that deviates from our standards, if you want to benchmark vehicles that are not in our database, or if you wish to compare your own vehicle’s stage of development with others – we also offer a fully bespoke benchmarking program for this.

Product Definition and Setting Targets

To position your product optimally on the market, we support you in setting the right targets. To do this, we also break down your goals defined for the entire vehicle into system and component specifications. Naturally, we also take into account your brand-specific vehicle DNA.

 

Trend and Technology Scouting

Our market analyses support you in selecting the right visionary technologies. We use market data to derive success forecasts with regard to end-user-relevant vehicle specifications such as performance or range for the planned product – and also take future legislation into account. A solid basis for your long-term market success.

Related Topics

We are constantly working on new solutions. The following might be interesting for you:

Next Generation Vehicle Engineering
Vehicle Engineering

Whether passenger cars or commercial vehicles – we factor in existing and new technologies as we bring your individual requirements in line with end user expectations. Our focus is on virtual and functional vehicle development, as well as integration of the vehicle systems into the vehicle. 

VSM Chassis Control
Virtual Vehicle Development

Virtualization is a key enabler for the fast transition from component-oriented to functional-oriented vehicle development.

VSM Chassis Control
Function and System Based Vehicle Development

For a successful start of  production. At AVL we have in-depth understanding of product-defining components and systems. This is one of the reasons why our strengths include coordinating complete vehicle functions and goals in an ideal way, while also incorporating the optimum technologies.

Vehicle Dynamics Development
Functional Vehicle Development

We help optimize the driving comfort and driving experience of your customers. At AVL, we use systems engineering to consider the overall system of the vehicle with all its subsystems at all times. It is on this basis that we ultimately optimize the functional experience.

Moving steadily into the future: Find out what’s brand new in the field of vehicle benchmarking and technology scouting.

Zalazone Opening
Press Release
AVL Opens New Vehicle Engineering Center With Direct Access to Proving Ground

With the new vehicle engineering center, AVL established a unique engineering facility to test conventional and future vehicles in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary.