India's Tata Motors to rename its new hatchback model which sounds like the Zika virus

Record ID: 116474

  • Title: India's Tata Motors to rename its new hatchback model which sounds like the Zika virus
  • Date: 3rd February 2016
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) VICE PRESIDENT AND HEAD OF SMALL CAR PROJECT OF TATA MOTORS, GIRISH WAGH, SAYING: "Zica is kind of a short form of acronym for a zippy car. What we made is a car for the youth of the country, it's a very zippy car, very good to drive around in the city and therefore we had named it as Zica. However, this virus Zika has also come up and is kind of taki
  • Embargoed: 18th February 2016 10:41
  • Keywords: Tata Zika Virus car India
  • Location: GREATER NOIDA, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA
  • City: GREATER NOIDA, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Health/Medicine
  • Reuters ID: LVA00342XRBK5
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The rapidly-spreading Zika virus has claimed an unlikely victim - a model of vehicle produced by Indian car maker Tata Motors Ltd.
    The car maker said on Wednesday (February 03) that it had decided to rename its latest hatchback currently called the Zica, short for Zippy Car, after the mosquito-borne virus was declared an international health emergency.
    Tata, which unveiled the hatchback at the biennial Delhi car show on the outskirts of the Indian capital, said they did not want the people to associate the car with the virus spreading across the Americas at a rapid pace.
    Girish Wagh, Vice President and head of the small car project at Tata Motors, said the change was happening right around the launch of the product and not later when people already begin to identify it with the name.
    "Zica is kind of a short form of acronym for a zippy car. What we made is a car for the youth of the country, it's a very zippy car, very good to drive around in the city and therefore we had named it as Zica. However, this virus Zika has also come up and is kind of taking the shape of an epidemic, so we are taking cognisance of that fact, we empathise with all those who have been suffering due to this and taking a call on this therefore we have decided to change the name of the car," Wagh said.
    Tata Motors, part of the Tata Group, one of India's largest conglomerates, said it would decide on a new name for the hatchback after a few weeks.
    "We are looking at alternate names and we will shortly make an announcement of the new name," Wagh said.
    The World Health Organization has said the Zika virus is "spreading explosively" and could infect as many as four million people in the Americas.
    Tata Motors is seeking an image makeover with the curvaceous hatchback, which is being endorsed by world soccer player of the year Lionel Messi.
    Wagh did not disclose any figures related to the cost of branding and building the Zica image.
    "Whatever spend we have done on Zica, yes we will have to change when we decide the new name," Wagh said.
    India's fifth-biggest car maker, which owns the Jaguar and Land Rover brands, has struggled to dispel perceptions of cheapness since releasing its Nano cars seven years ago costing under $3,000.
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