New Apple iPhone 18 Duo Costs Rs 4.5 Lakh: Here Are 5 New Cars You Can Buy For Less!

At its annual product launch event yesterday, Apple launched its brand-new iPhone 18 series priced from Rs 1.64 lakh for the iPhone 18 Pro. You also have the iPhone 18 Duo, or the iPhone Fold which comes with a foldable screen, a larger battery, groundbreaking cameras and even up to 2TB of internal storage potentially making it the tech giant’s most innovative product in the last decade. 

That said, all of this comes at a hefty price, and the most advanced iPhone Duo will cost you Rs 4.5 lakh in India! This did make us wonder then, about what new cars you can buy for less than this smartphone, and here is a list of 5 of these:

Maruti S-Presso

It’s no surprise that the most affordable car in India, the Maruti S-Presso, makes it to the list. In fact you can even get the one-below-top VXI (O) variant for less than the iPhone 18 Duo! This hatchback is an ideal option if you want a low cost urban runabout, with its tall-boy stance, high ground clearance and an extremely frugal powertrain.

Maruti Alto K10

Next up, is the hatchback that puts India on four wheels! The Maruti Alto K10 remains a great option with its peppy engine, sorted driving dynamics and ultra low running costs, which make it the default choice of first-time car buyers. You can even buy its commercial version, the Tour H1 for less than a new iPhone 18 fold!

But, before we go to the next car….

Need A Charging Adapter & Apple Care?

When you buy an iPhone 18 Duo, you only get its charging cable, and if you want the 60W adapter, you will have to shell out an extra Rs 4,500. Furthermore, with such an expensive phone, it is also a no-brainer to opt in for Apple Care too, which will set you back by another Rs 52,000. With this mind, here are some more cars you can buy for less than this entire iPhone Duo bundle!

Renault Kwid

The stylish Renault Kwid can also be yours for less than the Apple Duo phone, with the base Evolution trim, and even its AMT version undercutting the smartphone. The Kwid is well established for offering an excellent value-for-money proposition, and rugged looks that help it stand out from other budget offerings.

Tata Tiago

You can get an even bigger and more powerful car in this price range in the form of the Tata Tiago, whose base variant starts at just Rs 4.77 lakh! It's no surprise why it's such a popular hatchback, and it recently received a facelift with tons of features, versatile powertrains and chic styling.

Maruti Wagon R

The ubiquitous Maruti Wagon R rounds off this list, with its base LXI Petrol MT trim being priced at Rs 4.99 lakh. The humble hatchback continues to remain one of the country’s bestsellers, offering class-leading space, a smooth engine and light controls that are the reason for its popularity amongst both commercial and private buyers.

CarDekho Says…

iPhones have gotten expensive, and so have cars in the last few years! However, with the latest iPhone 18 series, the former seems to have outpaced the latter. While reasons for this have been discussed multiple times, what is undeniable, especially for us enthusiasts, is the much better value proposition that a set of wheels makes over a smartphone.

If you want to go even further in stretching each rupee of yours, we would also suggest looking at the used car market, where depreciation makes sure that you get far more capable cars such as used Maruti Balenos, Ford Ecosport and Honda City’s with less kilometres, a lot more features, better performance and critically, more safety features for a similar price.

In the end, it comes down to what you fancy more. Let us know in the comments your answer on if you would choose a phone over a car!

All prices mentioned are ex-showroom