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As
is always the case when a new car is launched, a lot of thinking goes into
the selection of a name. The name must be readily pronounceable in all
the new car's target markets and must be neither inappropriate nor obscene.
Furthermore it must be evocative of the image the manufacturer wishes to
portray and should also draw on the manufacturer's past while being up
to date.
According
to Pierre Bessis who was responsible for the new name (and who incidentally
invented Xanae, Scénic, Clio and Mégane) Xsara represents
a feminine person such as a queen of Babylon.
Also
contained within the name is `Xsar' or Tsar with all its connotations of
unbridled luxury plus `Sahara' with its connotations of a long distance
journey. (A 4 x 4 version is planned).
The
combination of letters was not a matter of chance - the ending of the name
in the letter `A' continues a theme used in the past (Athena, LNA, Visa,
Xantia) while the use of two `A's within a car name is unusual but again,
employed in `Athena' and `Xantia'. The letter `X' has also long been associated
with the marque (CX and XM) and has high tech and high performance connotations.
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