Game for the name

What's in a name? Apparently, a hardsell tactic! Dream machines at the Auto Expo 2010 are luring teeming crowds. And the ones pulling maximum junta are the ones with quirky, edgy names.

Sample Aria. Meaning 'lion', this luxury car by Tata has youngsters drooling over it. Toyota's Etios (meaning 'the origin of'), one of the biggest launches this fall, also has many excited. BMW's Gran Turismo (meaning 'great touring') is also chic and fresh.

"A cool name always has an upper hand. Aria is hip, trendy and gets people talking," says software engineer Gavish Sharma. "There's a chic hotel in Las Vegas by the same name." Youngsters confess falling for the one with a catchy name. "Names like Beat (from Chevrolet) and Aria are short, crisp and catchy," feels theatre enthusiast Vrinda Mathur.

Maruti Suzuki's concept car rIII and sports luxury four-wheeler Kizashi (meaning 'something great is coming') are also being praised for having 'hatt ke' names.

But too different can be a put off. Entrepreneur Avinash Sharma, 26, says, "The auto giants should name the cars keeping the Indian sensibilities in mind. Some names are hard to pronounce. But there's no doubt that the youth falls for trendy names."

The car makers, such as Skoda, which launched its first SUV named Yeti (meaning 'snowman'), too understand the relevance of 'youth connect'. "It's important to name the vehicles keeping youngsters in mind. They're the ones investing in luxury vehicles," says Sunil Gate, head Corporate Communication, Skoda Auto.