Photo: Tata
If you’re the type of person who’s up to date with world news, then you’re fully aware that the Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in the Americas is a public health emergency of international concern. The internationality of it all forced Indian automaker Tata Motors to rename one of its all-new models. More specifically, the Tata Zica.
Not surprisingly, the Indian manufacturer’s public relations team received negative feedback on the Zica nameplate from the general public. Zica is, in fact, an acronym derived from two words (zippy and car), an acronym that happens to be phonetically similar to the pronunciation of Zika. As a consequence of that, Tata agreed to change the name of the Zica into something a little less offensive. The new nameplate for it will be announced at the end of February.
Thing is, the Zika virus was discovered in 1947. From then until 2014, the virus has been known to occur here and there, always between a narrow equatorial belt from Africa to Asia. But 2014 is the year the Zika virus spread across the Pacific Ocean, reaching Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean by the end of 2015.
As such, one has to pose this question: what was Tata Motors thinking when the automaker unveiled the Zica hatchback last November?
As for the Zica’s first public outing at the Auto Expo 2016 in New Delhi, Tata has announced that the model will carry the Zica label for the duration of the event. What a blunder. On the plus side, the Tata soon-to-be-renamed-Zica is a promising urban runaround, the type that abides by the cheap and cheerful mantra of most superminis.
The 3.74-meter (147.2 in) long and 1.53-meter (60.2 in) wide model tips the scales at just over 1,000 kilograms (2,204 pounds). The low weight goes hand in hand with two small capacity engines. The first is a 1.2-liter 3-cylinder with 85 PS and 114 Nm (84 lb-ft) of torque at its disposal. For those who prefer the added fuel economy and torque of a turbo diesel, the Tata Zica is also available with a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder motor that produces 70 PS and 140 Nm (103 lb-ft). More information on the Zica can be found in attached PDF file.
Thing is, the Zika virus was discovered in 1947. From then until 2014, the virus has been known to occur here and there, always between a narrow equatorial belt from Africa to Asia. But 2014 is the year the Zika virus spread across the Pacific Ocean, reaching Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean by the end of 2015.
As such, one has to pose this question: what was Tata Motors thinking when the automaker unveiled the Zica hatchback last November?
As for the Zica’s first public outing at the Auto Expo 2016 in New Delhi, Tata has announced that the model will carry the Zica label for the duration of the event. What a blunder. On the plus side, the Tata soon-to-be-renamed-Zica is a promising urban runaround, the type that abides by the cheap and cheerful mantra of most superminis.
The 3.74-meter (147.2 in) long and 1.53-meter (60.2 in) wide model tips the scales at just over 1,000 kilograms (2,204 pounds). The low weight goes hand in hand with two small capacity engines. The first is a 1.2-liter 3-cylinder with 85 PS and 114 Nm (84 lb-ft) of torque at its disposal. For those who prefer the added fuel economy and torque of a turbo diesel, the Tata Zica is also available with a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder motor that produces 70 PS and 140 Nm (103 lb-ft). More information on the Zica can be found in attached PDF file.
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