GMC has published a dark teaser image that previews the all-new 2015 Canyon midsize pickup. The Canyon is scheduled to greet the public for the first time next week at the Detroit Motor Show.

Keeping in line with tradition, the Canyon will be closely related to the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado that was introduced in Los Angeles last November. Details are scarce, but expect the Canyon to be positioned as a more premium alternative to the Colorado thanks to extra standard features, upmarket trim on the outside, a better-finished interior and a noticeably higher price tag.

Canyon buyers will be able to choose from a 193-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a 302-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 mill. The latter engine will enable the Canyon to tow at least 6,700 pounds when properly equipped, and both mills will feature direct fuel-injection, jet-spray piston cooling and dual overhead cams.

GMC has confirmed a 2.8-liter turbodiesel four will be available at an extra cost later in the production run. Power and fuel economy figures have not been published yet.

Base models equipped with the 2.5-liter will be offered with a six-speed manual transmission while better-equipped, higher-volume variants will only come with a six-speed automatic unit. Both rear- and all-wheel drive variants will be offered.

Don’t forget to check back next week for the complete story on the 2015 GMC Canyon and the rest of Leftlane’s Detroit show coverage.

Mercedes-Benz has lifted the veil off of the 2014 GLA45 AMG ahead of its scheduled debut at next week’s Detroit Motor Show. As its name implies, the GLA45 AMG is the performance-focused version of the Three-Pointed Star’s new GLA-Class crossover.

Like the existing CLA45 AMG, the hot-rodded GLA is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 355 horsepower and 332 lb-ft. of torque thanks in part to a turbocharger and high-tech engineering like multiple spark ignition.

Linked to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the turbo four sends the GLA45 AMG from zero to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds – 0.3 seconds slower than the CLA – and on to a top speed that is electronically limited to 155 mph.

The 2.0-liter returns 31 mpg in a mixed European cycle. U.S. fuel economy will be published closer to the car’s on-sale date.

The engine sends power to all four wheels via a new 4Matic all-wheel drive system designed specifically to be used in cars with a transversally-mounted engine. By using a power take-off unit built directly into the gearbox, the transmission eliminates the need for a transfer case and reduces the system’s overall weight.

Looking The Part
The GLA45 AMG stands out from its regular-production counterpart with a twin-blade grille, muscular bumpers on both ends, an air diffuser that incorporates four round exhaust tips and a slightly lowered ride height. Model-specific exterior colors, wheel designs and “Turbo” emblems on both fenders round out the look.

The GLA45′s cabin is largely carried over from the GLA. Unabashedly designed to appeal to a young and trendy target audience, the cockpit is characterized by aircraft-inspired round air vents surrounded by chrome bezels, a 5.8-inch screen that protrudes from the top of the dash and a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel.

Carbon fiber trim on the dash, a pair of sport seats up front and an AMG-specific instrument cluster that includes a timer emphasize the performance-focused nature of the car.

After debuting in the nation’s Motor City, the 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG will land in Mercedes showrooms next summer. Pricing information will be available at a later date.

Warren Buffet-backed BYD (Build Your Dreams) has become the latest Chinese automaker to announce plans to enter the U.S. retail market in the near future.

After suffering through a rocky period, including an abortive U.S. launch in 2010 and a three-year reorganization, BYD says it is now back on track and will begin selling cars in America in late 2015.

“Back [in 2010], we had passion, but we had no brand, no history, no capital and no competitive advantage,” said Stella LI, senior vice president of the brand’s U.S. operations. “BYD has become more fashionable and we have improved our design and safety. We don’t want to compete on price anymore, but on quality and innovation.”

BYD is hardly the only Chinese automaker eyeing the U.S. market – Geely, the parent company of Volvo, intends to arrive on these shores in 2016 with models co-developed with its Swedish subsidiary. China’s largest producer of SUVs, Great Wall Motors, last year signaled that it would make its way stateside in 2015, although the company has subsequently relaxed its timetable.

For its part, BYD intends to debut in the U.S. with as many as four models, including a range-topping compact plug-in hybrid sedan known as the Qin (pictured above). Named for the dynasty founded by the emperor who unified China, the Qin – prounced “chin” – exemplifies the company’s focus on vehicle electrification, packing two electric motors in addition to a 300-horsepower turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder.

BYD claims that the Qin possesses an electric-only range of up to 43 miles and is capable of sprinting from zero-to-60 mph in 5.9 seconds. In China, where it went on sale last month, the sedan is priced from 189,800 yuan ($31,400) before government subsidies.

Despite its unsuccessful retail launch in 2010, BYD has been able to sell small amounts of all-electric buses to commercial buyers in the United States. With the help of $2 million in tax subsidies, it has opened a plant in Lancaster, California, that will begin churning out electric buses in March.

Along with its not-inconsiderable automotive business – it’s the world’s largest producer of electric buses – BYD also builds solar panels, LED lights and mobile phones.

BYD is partially owned by Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway, which bought a 9.9 percent stake in the automaker in 2009.

Check out the BYD Qin’s accelerative abilities in the videos below.

Anyone that has traveled around the United States can attest to the fact that car shoppers in different regions have varying automotive tastes. What flies in Southern California might not exactly be in vogue in the Midwest.

Although those variations have long been known, Kelley Blue Book has released a new study that puts those regional preferences into mathematical terms.

KBB broke the country up into four regions – West, Midwest, South and Northeast – and delved into trends like most and least popular car brands and the type of vehicles favored by a particular quadrant.

Not surprisingly, KBB discovered that car buyers in the West are 86 percent more likely to consider a Tesla than shoppers in other regions of the country. Scion was second, with a 68 percent higher consideration rate than the rest of the country.

The Midwest is home to the Big Three, and the residents of that region shop accordingly. Midwesterners are 64 percent more likely than the rest of the country to buy a Chrysler and 53 percent more likely to buy a Buick.

The South is somewhat of a mixed bag, with Southerners proving partial to Infiniti (17 percent more likely) and Ram (14 percent). KBB notes that the South isn’t particularly brand loyal when it comes to vehicles, which explains the relatively low percentages of its top marques.

In the snowy Northeast Subaru and Volvo reign supreme, with Northerners 56 percent and 45 percent, respectively, more likely than the rest of the U.S. to purchase those brands.

When it comes to least popular brands, Western shoppers tend to stay away from Chrysler and Buick (36 percent and 30 percent lower consideration than the rest of the country) while Midwesterners shy away from flashy premium brand Mercedes-Benz and BMW (37 percent and 30 percent lower). Subaru and Tesla are at the bottom of shopping lists in the South (42 percent and 22 percent lower), while Ram and Scion fail to make the cut in the Northeast (27 percent and 26 percent lower).

“It seems what is popular in one region is overlooked in another,” said Arthur Henry, analyst at Kelley Blue Book. “Westerners prefer fuel-efficient brands with style, such as Tesla and Scion, but those same brands are shunned in the South and Northeast. Those living in the South gravitate toward brands that are manufactured in the same region. Shoppers from the Midwest also have an affinity for brands headquartered or produced in their own backyard.”

Given its propensity for a green brand Tesla, it should come as no surprise that the West’s favorite vehicle type is the hybrid car. Buyers in the West are most likely to omit a full-size crossover from their shopping list.

Although not popular in the Western part of the U.S., full-size crossovers are the vehicle of choice for Midwesterners. Compact luxury vehicles are the least popular segment in the Midwest, which explains why the region is not high on Mercedes or BMW.

Southern buyers prefer full-size SUVs, while the West’s favorite hybrid cars are the region’s least considered segment. Car buyers in the Northeast tend to buy compact crossovers and largely avoid full-size SUVs.

“Based on actual shopping data on KBB.com, hybrids are synonymous with the West, as SUVs are with the South,” said Henry. “Seeing the key drivers motivating shoppers are topography, metropolitan density and government regulations, it is not surprising compact crossovers are preferred over full-size SUVs in the Northeast. This shows when brand choice is layered on top of segment preferences, manufacturers like Subaru rise to the top with its four-wheel drive options, along with Volvo and its high safety ratings, which help both brands drive interest in this region.”

Chrysler’s Jeep brand has set an all-time record with 731,565 global sales in 2013. Last year was the second consecutive year that Jeep has broken its own annual sales record.

Following a record-setting 2012 that saw Jeep deliver 701,626 vehicles worldwide, the off-road marque increased its 2013 global sales by 4 percent to 731,565 units. Jeep’s 2013 global sales were helped by strong demand from the United States and the Asia-Pacific region.

“Jeep vehicles have now recorded sales increases both globally and in the U.S. market for four consecutive years, with back-to-back global sales records,” said Mike Manley, President and CEO – Jeep Brand. “Customers clearly appreciate the new Jeep vehicle lineup that delivers vastly improved on-road driving dynamics and fuel efficiency, in addition to legendary, benchmark 4×4 capability.”

In the U.S., Jeep’s sales inched up by 3 percent to 490,454 units. Jeep’s sales expanded by 26 percent in the Asia-Pacific region, including a 29 percent growth spurt in China.

The Grand Cherokee was easily Jeep’s best seller in 2013, racking up 255,005 global deliveries. The Wrangler was second with 210,715 sales, followed by the Compass (121,626 units), Patriot (103,577 units) and Cherokee (31,330 units).