VAUXHALL gave a world premiere to three new models for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany.

The company - now part of French group PSA which also owns Peugeot and Citroen - unveiled the new Corsa, Astra and Grandland X Hybrid4 SUV at the show.

The British-built Vivaro Life van-based MPV is also on display at the show.

The Corsa is now in its fifth generation and will be arriving early next year with both regular and all-electric powertrains available.

Vauxhall says it is trying to 'normalise' electric car ownership with the Corsa-e which has a range of up to 205 miles on a single charge and can be recharged to 80 per cent capacity in 30 minutes.

The mainstream Corsa will be available with a range of petrol and diesel engines and with a new lightweight design the car is said to be much more fuel efficient.

The new Grandland - also arriving in January - will feature Vauxhall's first plug-in hybrid powertrain with a 13.2kWh lithium-ion battery and a 1.6T four-cylinder petrol engine giving a combined output of 300hp.

On paper, it has a fuel figure of 166mpg with emissions of 36g/km yet is capable of completing the 0 to 60mph sprint in less than 6.1 seconds.

The front electric motor is coupled to an electrified eight-speed automatic transmission, while the second motor and differential are integrated into an electrically-powered rear axle, providing all-wheel traction on demand.

The Grandland X Hybrid4 offers four driving modes - electric, hybrid, AWD and Sport. In pure electric mode, the car has a zero emission range of 32 miles while in hybrid mode, the car automatically selects the most efficient method of propulsion.

When travelling at low speeds - within cities for example - the system switches to electric mode for clean driving.

The facelifted new Astra - now with engines from the PSA range - completed Vauxhall's hat-trick of premieres.

Available in hatchback and estate body styles the new Astra is powered by a range of of three-cylinder, turbocharged petrol and diesel engines with start/stop systems which are said to offer reductions of up to 21 per cent versus the outgoing model.

The latest Astra, which is built in Britain at Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire, was joined on the stand in Frankfurt by the Luton-built Vivaro Life which can have eight seats although in normal configuration it is a five-seater.

Based on the Vivaro van it has a car-like interior which includes features such as electrically-operated heated front seats with massage facility, a panoramic roof and smart technology such as an intuitive seven-inch touchscreen, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and a navigation system.

An electric version of the MPV is planned for release later in 2020.