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Toyota, being the largest, most internationalized of Japan’s automakers, tends to do a pretty decent job steering clear of picking car names that sound weird or shocking to non-Japanese consumers. Sure, its product lineup briefly included the Emina, but that only sounds gross if you’re too impatient to carefully read the letters in order.

Until now Toyota hasn’t had anything as unintentionally startling as the Mazda Bongo Friendee, Daihatsu Naked, or Nissan Fairlady. But if you’ve taken a look at Toyota’s Japanese website recently, you may have found yourself doing a double-take as you noticed one of its current offerings seems to share its name with a well-known jihadist rebel group.

Ladies and gentlemen, we give you the Toyota Isis.

In Toyota’s defense, it’s been selling the minivan since 2004, well before terrorist group ISIS rose to prominence. What’s more, the Japanese mass media generally refers to the group claiming responsibility for the recent execution of two Japanese hostages as either Islamic State, IS, or ISIL. Western news outlets, though, often refer to the group as ISIS, which is almost exactly what’s plastered on the rear-end of this seven-seater.

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Look closely, though, and you’ll spot an important difference. Unlike the all-in-caps ISIS (which stands for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), Toyota’s Isis isn’t an acronym. Instead, the car is named after ancient Egypt’s goddess of health, fertility, and wisdom: Isis.

▼ Who, since she isn’t wearing any shoes, would probably appreciate a lift.

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Still, the recent deaths of their countrymen have much of Japan feeling acutely conscious of terrorism these days, sparking the following comments online.

“It’s like their car is an ad for a terrorist organization. Gotta do something about that.”
“All Toyota has to do is just change the name.”
“Redo the exterior and give it a new name. Something catchy, like ‘Ispam.’”
“Wasn’t Isis also the name of the evil goddess in level 10 of the old Xanadu computer game?”

This actually isn’t even the first time there’s been a car with the Isis moniker. Defunct British manufacturer Morris Motors also built and sold a car called the Isis from 1929 to 1931, and also during another brief stint in the 1950s.

▼ If you’re keeping score at home, this is the fourth non-terrorism Isis picture in this article.

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Currently, Toyota’s Isis is only available in the Japanese domestic market, which as we said isn’t as familiar with the ISIS name as consumers in different countries. Hopefully, we’ll be living in a world at peace by the time the vehicle is due for a redesign, but if not, the carmaker may want to consider the advice proposed by one Internet user, which is to change the minivan’s name back to that of its predecessor, the Toyota Gaia.

Sources: J Cast News via Sonic Sokuho
Top image: Toyota
Insert images: Toyota, Wikipedia/Jeff Dahl, Wikipedia/Redsimon