Zika virus is a rising concern in India as a 5-year old girl has become the first confirmed case of this virus in the state of Karnataka. For those who are unaware, the Zika virus is mostly spread by bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito and as of now, there is no vaccine for Zika. Although the virus is not as deadly as Covid, it requires hospitalisation and during pregnancies, the Zika virus can cause serious birth defects. Zika has made it to the headlines several times in the last few years and in 2016, the virus even forced Tata Motors to change the name of its popular hatchback.
Tata Motors launched its popular hatchback Tata Tiago in 2016 but the car was not always named Tiago. Tata Motors initially named the Zica, however the Indian automaker was forced to change the name of the car because it was similar to Zika virus that claimed several victims worldwide. Zica was an acronym for zippy car.
After ditching the name Zica for its hatchback, Tata Motors launched a campaign to find the new name for the car. The company started a poll to pick the name among three options - Tiago, Civet and Adore. The change of the name also delayed the launch of Tata Tiago hatchback. Interestingly, the name Tiago also resembled Thiago, which is the name of Lionel Messi’s son. Lionel Messi was Tata Motors’ brand ambassador at that time.
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Recently, Tata Motors also launched an electric version of the Tiago hatchback in India. The Tata Tiago EV is offered in seven variants in two battery packs to choose from - 19.2 kWh and 24 kWh. The car also supports two charging options - 3.3 kW AC and 7.2 kW AC. The company claims that the car delivers over 315kms of range in a single charge.
