There was something about automotive design in the 2000s, incorporating elements of retro-futurism, but looking very little like the cars that would come before or after the first 10 of the new millennium. If anything, the Kia Soul’s once-innovative look has been toned down over the years, and the controversial Tesla Cybertruck is the only vehicle you can really say took the baton from the Pontiac Aztek and ran with it.
The designs of this era speak to an inexhaustible optimism, which is funny when you consider that we had two recessions, a housing market crash, and the automotive bailout all in a single decade. You wouldn’t guess from the cheerful appearance of the New Beetle or the Chevy SSR that everyone was broke back then, nor would any of these charming, forward-thinking concept cars tip you off.
2003 Dodge Kahuna
Dodge’s Take On The Woody Wagon
| Engine | 2.4-Liter Turbocharged 4-Cylinder |
|---|---|
| Power | 215 hp |
| Torque | 245 lb-ft |
| Transmission | 4-Speed Automatic |
| Drivetrain | Front-Wheel Drive |
You could say that woody wagons had a fleeting moment in the early 2000s. The PT Cruiser had a limited edition model with exterior wood paneling, and several automakers were showing off concepts for their own beachmobiles. It wasn’t exactly a comeback for these stylish family cars, but they were at least in the conversation once more.
The Dodge Kahuna is very much a product of its time. Had the design team come up with this idea just a few years later, they likely would have gone with a full-size SUV rather than a minivan build, meaning that they might not have been able to install the pillarless family car’s coolest feature: a retractable roof lending the cabin a breezy, open-air vibe.
2008 Dodge Zeo
The Dodge Charger EV, Nearly 20 Years Early
| Engine | Single Electric Motor |
|---|---|
| Power | 268 hp |
| Range | 250 Miles |
| Drivetrain | Rear-Wheel Drive |
A sport wagon with the heart of a muscle car. The Zeo was rear-wheel drive and it promised a 5.7-second 0-60 mph takeoff, putting it in the same ballpark as the Mustang GT or Dodge’s own Hemi-powered drag-strip warriors around this time.
The Zeo’s futuristic body design and sleek, spaceship-like interior are pure 2000s, but the most striking feature has to be those butterfly doors, with two in the front and two in the back so you can pop the whole cockpit open for easy access, or just to show off.
2005 Ford SYNus
A Boxy SUV With A Ludicrous Name
| Engine | 2.0-Liter Turbodiesel 4-Cylinder |
|---|---|
| Power | 134 hp |
| Torque | 236 lb-ft |
| Transmission | 5-Speed Manual |
| Drivetrain | Front-Wheel Drive |
Just because a name sounds clever doesn’t mean it sounds cool. The Ford SYNus gets its name from the word synthesis, and the word us, and it brings to mind nothing so much as runny noses and allergies. Who wants to think about their sinuses when they’re buying an SUV?
The SYNus’ boxy visual design drew inspiration from bank vaults and armored cars, and it even features window shutters that snapped into place when you go into “shutdown” mode. But, we think it looks more like a milk truck if they still had milk deliveries in the futuristic setting of Blade Runner.
2007 Ford Airstream
A Minivan With The Spirit Of A Travel Trailer
| Engine | HySeries Drive Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric |
|---|---|
| Power | 221 hp |
| Range | 225 Miles |
| Drivetrain | Rear-Wheel Drive |
Ever wonder what it would look like if an RV company built a car of their own? Sure, who hasn’t? And what if they also took direct inspiration from the sci-fi epic 2001: A Space Odyssey? Maybe that never crossed your mind, but, sure, why not? The Ford Airstream was a collaboration between, who else, Ford Motors and Airstream, intending to give young adventurers the travel-trailer experience in a minivan.
The Airstream’s interior was a swanky, lounge-like setting for long chillout sessions at the campsite. The powertrain was a plug-in hydrogen fuel cell system which ran for 225 miles between charge-ups, which wasn’t bad for any sort of electric car back in 2007.
2008 Chrysler ecoVoyager
An Extra Long Electric-Hydrogen Hybrid
| Engine | Electric With Hydrogen Range Extender |
|---|---|
| Power | 268 hp |
| Range | 300+ Miles |
| Drivetrain | Front-Wheel Drive |
The Chrysler ecoVoyager used what you might call an electric-hydrogen hybrid solution. The car primarily ran on a lithium-ion battery pack that could get you around 40 miles on a charge, while a small hydrogen cell served as a range extender for up to 300 miles. So you could run on the battery pack alone for the daily commute, and use the hydrogen power system for road trips.
That’s all well and good, but this car makes our list specifically for its sleek, new-millennium profile. From the side, it looks like nothing so much as a long-wheelbase version of the New Beetle, needing only the round headlights and VW badge to complete the look.
Sources: Ford, GM, Chevrolet, Dodge, Cadillac.
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This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.
