Brands
VLCC & Cigalah partner for 6 centres in Saudi in 3 yrs
MUMBAI: VLCC, a global beauty and wellness brand, and Cigalah, a Saudi business house and healthcare services and products player, has announced a strategic partnership to launch VLCC Wellness centres in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), starting with Jeddah.
VLCC will be setting up its centers, starting with Jeddah, in partnership with Cigalah and will be offering the entire portfolio of weight management and beauty services, under one roof. The company plans to set up six VLCC Wellness centers in the Kingdom in the next three years, with the first one scheduled to open in Jeddah by November this year. It is estimated that a total investment of over AED 30 million (Rs 522.5 million) will go into setting up these centres.
VLCC Group chairman Mukesh Luthra said, “We have been very keen to enter the Saudi market and look forward to working to address the issues of obesity and overweight, which – in KSA too, as in most parts of the world – is increasingly become a public health hazard.”
Cigalah Group Abdullah director Abdullah Yaser Naghi said: “Cigalah and VLCC see tremendous synergies and we look forward to working closely and making the residents of Saudi Arabia healthier and fitter.”
As per a survey released by Lancet in 2016, KSA is the third most obese nation in the world, after Malta and Switzerland, some of the reasons being unhealthy eating habits, sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activity or exercise.
Brands
Hyundai launches updated Ioniq 5 with 84 kWh battery, 690 km range
Priced at Rs 55.7 lakh, adds design, tech and safety upgrades.
MUMBAI: Charge it up, stretch it out, Hyundai’s latest electric upgrade is going the distance, quite literally. Hyundai Motor India Limited (HMIL) has introduced an updated version of its Ioniq 5, packing in a larger 84.0 kWh battery that delivers a claimed range of up to 690 km (ARAI-certified), marking a significant leap in everyday usability for its flagship electric SUV.
Built on Hyundai’s Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), the refreshed IONIQ 5 aims to balance performance with practicality, reducing range anxiety while making long-distance electric travel more viable. The upgrade builds on a model that has already secured global recognition, including the World Car of the Year title.
The changes aren’t just under the skin. On the outside, the SUV gets a sharper, more futuristic look with redesigned front and rear bumpers, new skid plates, sporty alloy wheels, a revised rear spoiler and updated V-garnish lighting, all while retaining its signature Parametric Pixel design.
Inside, Hyundai has focused on making the experience more intuitive. The cabin now features a redesigned three-spoke steering wheel with illuminated pixel elements, dual 12.3-inch displays, and a reworked wireless charging pad integrated with physical controls for seat functions small tweaks that aim to improve day-to-day usability.
On the tech front, the IONIQ 5 gets Hyundai’s Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC), Controller Over-the-Air (C-OTA) updates, and now supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. New additions such as Active Sound Design and in-car payment integration for EV charging reflect a push towards a more seamless, connected ownership experience. Remote immobilisation via Bluelink has also been introduced as an added security layer.
Safety sees incremental upgrades too, with features like Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist (Rear) and side parking distance warnings enhancing manoeuvrability in tight urban spaces.
The updated IONIQ 5 is available in four colour options Gravity Gold Matte, Midnight Black Pearl, Titan Grey and Optic White with an Obsidian Black interior theme.
Priced at Rs 55.7 lakh (ex-showroom), the new IONIQ 5 positions itself as a more rounded offering, less about futuristic promise, and more about making electric mobility fit seamlessly into everyday life.
