2016 Auto Expo: From Zica to Akula, what’s in a name?

When Shakespeare popped the ‘what’s in a name’ question, he did not foresee a reference to auto shows where concepts and new launches come in all shapes, sizes and names. Even after manufacturers like Skoda have gone wrong with the christening of their cars (read Laura) in India, some brands refuse to stop experimenting with names in the country. And while bringing you the latest from the media days of the expo, our team of correspondents stumbled upon some pretty interesting ones this time too.

‘Zica’ virus catches cars

The past few months have seen a global outbreak of the deadly Zika virus, particularly in the Americas; the extent of its effect can be determined by a possible cancellation of the Summer Olympics that are to take place in Rio de Janeiro later this year.

The virus however is yet to expand its reach to the Indian subcontinent but a motor company is likely bearing the brunt of it; purely because of nomenclatural reasons though. Tata was supposed to unveil its small car named Zica but the unfortunate turn of events might have pushed that back by as many as 6 weeks. Tata even unveiled the Zica-based sedan with an alternate nametag - Kite 5.

A name change would cost the Indian carmaker to get fresh certifications, rebuild the brand and re-spend the cash that it already has on its all new model, developed ground up after several years. Symptoms of the ‘Zica fever’?

Does it bite?

American thriller ‘Jaws’ became a cult hit with a huge man-eating great white shark wreaking havoc and ripping apart mortals at a New England beach. The shark has ever since been synonymous with a predator-ish aura and has been used as a symbol of the same on varied occasions.

TVS Motors adopted a similar approach while naming their 300cc concept bike showcased at the expo. The new Akula 310 bears a moniker from a Russian submarine of the namesake, translating into Shark in English. And by the looks of it, the TVS Akula 310 lives up to its predator-like moniker; with a brawny and muscular design, huge saddle and a monster of a fuel tank.

While manufacturers often go wrong with naming their products, we rate this one pretty high on the coolness meter. Though it remains to be seen how the audiences react to the moniker if TVS chooses to retain it after production.

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Name game not so strong

Hyundai has been pretty successful in India both with its cars and their branding. But with its new sub-four metre concept Carlino, it seems to have outsourced the latter to an amateur. Carlino, in medieval Italy, became a nickname, possibly for a worthless fellow, or an occupational one for a moneyer. Had it been a part of the ‘Cars’ movie universe, the Carlino would have been the butt of plenty of jokes in the company of its elder siblings.

A few other vehicles also almost earned a mention on this list. But hey, it’s not a piece of cake for everyone to make it up till here. Though, we did come across the perfect showstopper to round things off – the Renault Eolab. A fellow automobile journalist even pointed out that it sounds like the cry of an animal. We leave that for you to figure out which one.