Vehicle control apparatus and vehicle control method

A vehicle control apparatus comprising:

• a detector configured to detect an external temperature of a vehicle, a vehicle speed, and a coolant temperature of an engine;
• an input device configured to receive a signal for ON or OFF operations of a heating control in response to an input of an occupant of the vehicle;
• and
• a controller configured to determine a heating load depending on the heating control when the external temperature is less than a predetermined temperature and the signal for the ON operation of the heating control is input in response to the input of the occupant of the vehicle, and to control an operation of an integrated thermal management valve, a deactivation operation of cylinders mounted in the engine, and an operation of an active air flap when driving mode of the vehicle enters HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) mode, according to at least one of the heating load and the coolant temperature,
• wherein the vehicle includes a hybrid vehicle,
• wherein the controller is configured to control the integrated thermal management valve to operate in a third mode after the integrated thermal management valve is controlled in a first mode, when the controller concludes that the coolant temperature exceeds a second temperature,
• wherein the first mode includes a mode in which a coolant does not flow to the engine and the coolant temperature is raised, and
• wherein the third mode includes a cooling mode for lowering the coolant temperature.