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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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