Tata Motors to Change Car's Name After Zika Virus Spread

100 World News - The Indian carmaker Tata Motors has decided to change the name of its heavily promoted new car, the Zica, to avoid association with alarm about the spread of the Zika virus.

Tata Motors has in recent weeks been heavily promoting the small Zica -- or "zippy car" -- with a marketing campaign starring Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi.

Tata announced it would choose a new name for the car a day after the World Health Organisation declared Zika a global emergency. Tata has not yet revealed what the name will be.

The change comes too late for the launch of the car at the Auto Expo in New Delhi on Wednesday, where it will still carry the Zica label. Tata had chosen the name as an abbreviation of “zippy car”.

But its launch comes at an unfortunate time, with the mosquito-borne Zika virus spreading rapidly through Latin America, where it has been blamed for a surge in brain-damaged babies.

In a statement announcing the rebranding, Tata said: “Empathising with the hardships being caused by the recent Zika virus outbreak across many countries, Tata Motors, as a socially responsible company, has decided to rebrand the car.”

 

The car is due to go on show at India's Auto Expo 2016, which opens its doors in the capital New Delhi this week.