Tata Motors, the parent company of Jaguar Land Rover, has announced that it will rename its Zica hatchback. The decision to change the car’s name was due to it sounding too similar to Zika, the name of a virus that has just been declared an international health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO).
That disease has been spreading rapidly, and could possibly infect up to 4 million people in the Americas alone, according to WHO. The virus has been linked to birth defects like microcephaly, a condition that causes abnormally small heads in babies. A report from Reuters states that the Indian company will decide on a new name in the coming weeks. The new car will also be shown at the New Delhi motor show this week.
As one of India’s largest automakers, Tata has struggled to move away from perceptions that the vehicles it makes are cheaply built. After it released the Nano, a small city car priced in India around $3,000 U.S., a rash of fires stemming from that car’s steering column wiring hurt the company’s reputation. The fact that the Zica hatchback’s name sounds like that of the Zika virus is an unfortunate coincidence. The hatch’s name was chosen months ago, picked as a combination of the words “zippy” and “car.” The vehicle’s January release just happened to coincide with a global outbreak. Coincidence or not, the Zica will be renamed as part of Tata’s plan to revitalize its image and to avoid any association with a virus that might cause brain defects in babies. Tata has reportedly enlisted the help of world soccer player of the year Lionel Messi to promote the car.
Source: Reuters
The post Tata Motors to Rename Zica Hatchback Because it Sounds Like a Virus appeared first on Motor Trend.
from Motor Trend http://ift.tt/1QF6dLw
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire