Name game's getting goofy; Uliou? Tiida? Global push alters language
AutoWeek - 13 Sept
OKYO -- Nissan Motor Co. is considering selling the Tiida in the United States....
...."As more and more products move across borders, you'll see more unusual names," says Steve Wilhite, Nissan vice president of global marketing. .... There is "tremendous cachet in a name a little bit foreign but indicative" of the car's origins, Wilhite says.
... To be sure, some names don't travel well. Nissan will introduce a luxury sedan in Japan in mid-October under the Fuga moniker, but it will be known in the United States as the Infiniti M45. Toyota Motor Corp.'s Kluger V is known in the United States as the Highlander.
And some odd names won't show up outside their home markets simply because the cars are not meant for export. Mitsubishi Motors Corp. never exported its Toppo BJ minicar. And China's Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. has not shipped the Beauty Leopard, Haoqing or Uliou to America - yet....
---See also the old forum thread: The Best, Worst & Weirdest Car Names
Car Name Is Karma
J@pan Inc Magazine newsletter No. 293 Oct 18
...Fuga is Italian for harmony and is also homophonous with the Japanese word for elegance. The Nissan model has a V6-cylinder engine and body parts including doors made of aluminum, such that it is more than 30 kilograms lighter. The Fuga retails in the 3,410,000 - 4,930,000 yen range. Nissan expects to sell 2,000-odd units per month. The Cedric, for more than 40 years a synonym for luxury among Nissan models, will become mainly the name of taxi cabs and other commercial vehicles. Fearing the loss of a cadre of Cedric aficionados, some Nissan execs opposed the name change. Their objections were swept aside by President Carlos Ghosn....more...