When the Indian automaker Tata Motors unveiled the name of its curvaceous new hatchback late last year, it declared that the car would be the “the next big thing.” The name? Zica.

That was before a like-named viral outbreak linked to thousands of birth defects became an international public health emergency and a daily topic in news reports.

On Tuesday, Tata sought to defuse the unfortunate association with the mosquito-borne Zika virus, saying it would rename its car, just as it was to be unveiled this week at an automobile show outside New Delhi.