High-tech features aren't just for high-priced cars anymore.

General Motors plans this year to offer stereos on compact cars that let owners — often young people — plug mini hard drives full of songs into their dashboards.

The feature will be available on the Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5. Today, it's offered only on a vehicle that costs more than twice as much — the Cadillac CTS luxury car.

The plans show how much the compact car market has changed from the econo-boxes in the 1970s. The young, tech-savvy drivers of today's small cars want luxury features, no matter how little they pay for their vehicles, said Rebecca Lindland, an analyst for research company Global Insight in suburban Boston.

"What were once just luxury offerings, we're seeing those filter down to the economy segment," Lindland said.

Last year, Ford launched the voice-activated Sync system in the Focus compact car to target younger buyers. Sync coordinates electronic devices such as cellphones, iPods and digital assistants, enabling drivers to change songs and devices with voice commands.

Putting that system in Ford's least-expensive car expanded the popularity of the Focus with young people who could become lifelong customers, Lindland said.

GM's new stereos include a USB port that will allow drivers to plug computer memory devices into their cars. Designers came up with USB ports in 1995 to allow users to plug cameras, keyboards, printers and other devices into their computers.

In recent years, one of the most popular uses of the technology has been for small, inexpensive memory storage units. A four-gigabyte USB drive costs about $30, is about as big as a AA battery and can store about 1,000 songs.

GM spokesman Jim Burke said he could not comment on upcoming features on the Cobalt. But in the CTS, the system allows drivers to control the contents of USB devices using the stereo's controls. "It is our plan to increase the use of that system and, over time, incorporate it into all of our vehicles," Burke said.

GM plans to share information about its 2009 models later this year. Order guides for 2009 vehicles, which are available on a GM Web site for commercial buyers, show the USB-capable stereos coming in the next model year.

The only other GM model to feature the high-tech stereos is the Cadillac CTS.

Lindland said the GM system probably is an attempt to protect against losing customers to Ford.

"The Sync system is pretty tough to compete against," she said. Sync also gives users the ability to plug USB drives into the car.

GM also is adding Bluetooth connectivity, a system that connects cellphones to the cars so drivers can talk on the phone while it's still in a pocket or purse, as a feature on most of its 2009 models.