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New automotive technology usually debuts on an expensive flagship model, then passes down to lowlier members of the lineup as costs spread over greater volumes. But the trickle-down effect is not always consistent or predictable. Here we track stability control—mandated as standard equipment on all 2012 model-year vehicles sold in the U.S., but commonplace for a decade—and other safety features from their debuts in high-end luxury models to their arrival in everyday cars. How everyday? Our definition: those available at or below $30,282, the current average new-car transaction price.
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