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The carmaker said
on Tuesday it had decided to rename its soon-to-be-launched
hatchback Zica, short for Zippy Car, after the mosquito-borne
virus was declared an international health emergency.
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. It is due to showcase the car in
the biennial New Delhi motor show starting Wednesday.
The World Health Organization has said Zika is "spreading
explosively" and could infect as many as 4 million people in the
Americas.
Tata Motors is seeking an image makeover with the curvaceous
hatchback, which is being endorsed by that is endorsed by world
soccer player of the year Lionel Messi.
India's fifth-biggest automaker, 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.
(Reporting by Devidutta Tripathy, editing by Louise Heavens)
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