Nine cars from the noughties that brought us into the new Millennium

Just like Nikki Webster at the Sydney 2000 Olympics opening ceremony, we catapulted ourselves forward into the future and embraced change and new technology somewhat well. Our fashion slightly evolved, our TVs went widescreen and our choice of cars changed thanks to innovative design, new safety and tech as well as the introduction of the SUV or as it was known back then, AWD, crossover or faux wheel drive. Spend your GFC stimulus package on a Plasma TV and report to the diary room as we take a look at nine cars from the noughties that brought us into the new Millennium.

This was Holden’s attempt to cash in on the emerging trend of ‘crossover’ vehicles, the precursor to the real SUV Australians love today. The Adventra was essentially the Subaru Outback version of the Commodore station wagon but it did however have all-wheel drive, a first for a Commodore based car as well as additional gauges above the central air vents and optional third row seating.

Relive the new Millennium with your own Holden Adventra here on carsales.

The Hyundai Getz was passed the baton from its ‘90s sibling, the Excel and well and truly ran with it. The Getz not only continued the Excel’s low cost, high value offering, it also continued to smash it in the sales charts. Within its nine years on sale in Australia, 153,000 Getz hatches found a home, many of which were first time car buyers.

Relive the new Millennium with your own Hyundai Getz here on carsales.

An icon was reborn in the early 2000s when the new MINI hit the streets. It also became a big Hollywood star in 2003 with a starring role in the remake of the film The Italian Job. It’s said that 32 MINI Coopers were used during filming, with sales jumping soon after the film’s release. The new MINI also started the retro rebirth trend of many cars including VWs Beetle and Fiat’s 500 small car.

Relive the new Millennium with your own MINI Cooper Hatch here on carsales.

Hummer was one of those brands that thrived during the 2000s because of its uniqueness, its Americanness and its huge footprint which were the trends of the time. Based off the Humvee military vehicle that had been around since the ‘80s, the Hummer became the inspirational image of tough Hollywood macho men which found its way to Australia. The Hummer was the car Hollywood’s rich and famous loved to be seen in with anyone from Arnold Schwarzenegger to 50 Cent and even Paris Hilton driving the fuel-guzzling monster trucks around town. It all came undone for Hummer during the GFC when GM went into bankruptcy. The timing was also not great for the brand since the world was moving away from intense fuel use to either more fuel efficient vehicles or full electric. The remnants of Hummer still remain in Australia today as the limousine of choice for hen’s nights out on the Gold Coast.

Relive the new Millennium with your own Hummer here on carsales.

The eco status symbol of the decade not only for the everyday car owner but for Hollywood’s biggest celebrities. If you didn’t drive a Prius, did you even care about the environment? The Prius was revolutionary in its approach to combining a traditional petrol engine with a battery and electric motors. It represented what we had come to believe the new millennium would bring, futuristic technology. We weren’t expecting it to be in the form of a weirdly shaped whirling machine but hey, it was the future either way. These days the Prius doesn’t get much of a look-in in the advent of full electric cars like Tesla or the fact that most of Toyota’s lineup contains hybrid engines anyway.

Relive the new Millennium with your own Toyota Prius here on carsales.

The Ford Territory was big news when it went on sale in May 2004. The 2000s was the beginning of the SUV boom we have today but back then, you either had a 4x4 or nothing. The term crossover was starting to emerge and the Territory joined the likes of BMW X5 and Toyota Kluger in pioneering this large SUV class. Nothing like it had been built in Australia and the Territory became an instant family favourite.

Relive the new Millennium with your own Ford Territory here on carsales.

The Accord nameplate was up to its seventh generation in 2002 when something magical happened, the car split in two in Australia and took on a dual personality. You could have a standard Accord or a shmick looking car called the Accord Euro. At the time, it stood out from the crowd of busy midsize sedans including the Camry and Mazda6 with its sleek and modern design and ‘Euro’ level of equipment. The standout of this car was not the full vehicle itself, but its individual parts. The Honda Accord Euro cog TV ad went on to be one of the most iconic and awarded ads of the 2000s and potentially the reason for the car’s popularity.

Relive the new Millennium with your own Honda Accord Euro here on carsales.

Today, the Nissan X-Trail is a popular family SUV for those keen on doing the school run, a trip to the shops and the occasional daytrip out to the country, but the X-Trail of the 2000s was a very different beast. It was a time when the SUV wasn’t even a thing but a go anywhere 4x4 that was not the size of a Patrol was the go. The X-Trail with its boxy rugged looks, easy to use 4x4 mode and practical size became a favourite for city slickers who loved to hit the dirt on the weekends. It was marketed as an adventure vehicle aimed at anyone who was keen on going off the beaten track and less about the ability to find a car spot at Westfield easily. While the name does not match the car it has become today, it certainly stood out in the 2000s.

Relive the new Millennium with your own Nissan X-TRAIL here on carsales.

The 2000s was probably Holden’s strongest ever decade, not in regards to pure sales but rather an overwhelming sense of confidence that the new millennium was theirs for the taking. The reborn Monaro was proof of that. Not only did Holden have a successful Commodore on their hands, they could use this platform to spin-off other models that could help it own the millennium and tap into the nostalgia of the past. The Monaro was a hit with fans and lived on through half of the decade before being phased out ahead of the VE Commodore in 2006. The Millennium confidence for Holden was so strong that the Monaro was exported to the Middle East, USA and UK.

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