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Article: SAFER AT EVERY SPEED ONCE RESERVED FOR THE WELL-WHEELED SET, LIFESAVING INNOVATIONS ARE TRICKLING DOWN TO ENTRY-LEVEL CARS AS AUTOMAKERS RESPOND TO COMPETITION AND CONSUMER DEMAND
- Article from:
- The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)
- Article date:
- May 28, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2006 The Boston Globe. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Americans hit the roads this first weekend of heavy summer travel
aboard some of the safest vehicles ever built. And it's not because
they're all driving luxury cars.
Key lifesaving technology, often as standard equipment, is moving
down the automotive cost chain, touching even entry-level cars.
Car makers of widely affordable vehicles, particularly Honda,
Hyundai, and Kia, are increasingly making critical gear such as side
and side-curtain airbags, electronic stability control, and antilock
brakes standard fare in cars whose base prices range from $10,000 to
$25,000. Until recently, these features were available only in
vehicles above $30,000 forcing people to buy luxury cars if they ...