Vehicle control method and vehicle control apparatus

A vehicle control apparatus for controlling a vehicle provided with a clutch that connects and disconnects a power transmission path between an engine and a drive wheel, and with an automatic transmission having a shift range that is switchable between a driving range and a non-driving range, the vehicle control apparatus comprising:

• a clutch control unit that disconnects the clutch when the shift range is in the non-driving range and that connects the clutch when the shift range is in the driving range;
• and
• an engine control unit that controls the engine to a target idling speed,
• the engine control unit being configured to
• determine whether an increase idling speed request is present to set the target idling speed to a second speed higher than a first idling speed, the first idling speed being a normal idling speed,
• upon determining the increase idling speed request is present, set the target idling speed to the second speed and determine whether the shift range is switched from the non-driving range to the driving range, and
• upon determining the increase idling speed request is not present, set the target idling speed to the first idling speed and maintain the first idling speed without determining whether the shift range is switched from the non-driving range to the driving range,
• when it is determined that the shift range is switched from the non-driving range to the driving range while the increase idling speed request is present, the engine control unit causing the target idling speed to drop to a third idling speed lower than the second idling speed before the clutch switches from a disconnected state to a connected state by delaying an ignition timing of the engine and decreasing an intake air volume of the engine, the connected state being a state in which the clutch has a transmitted torque capacity larger than zero due to a control executed by the clutch control unit, and the engine control unit maintaining the target idling speed at the third idling speed at least until completion of engagement of the clutch is detected,
• the engine control unit being further configured to detect whether the completion of engagement of the clutch has occurred and increase the target idling speed back to the second idling speed from the third idling speed upon detecting that completion of the engagement of the clutch has occurred in a case where the shift range is switched from the non-driving range to the driving range while the increase idling speed request is present, and
• the engine control unit being further configured to maintain the target idling speed at the first idling speed even after the shift range is switched from the non-driving range to the driving range and the completion of engagement of the clutch has occurred in a case where the shift range is switched from the non-driving range to the driving range while the increase idling speed request is not present.