Control apparatus for hybrid electric vehicle

A control apparatus for a hybrid electric vehicle that includes an engine, an electric motor, main and auxiliary drive wheels and a drive-power distribution device configured to distribute a drive power to the main and auxiliary drive wheels,

• the control apparatus comprising:
• an engine control portion configured to control an operation state of the engine;
• and
• a driving-mode control portion configured to control running of the vehicle so as to realize selected at least one of driving modes which is selected by a driver of the vehicle,
• wherein the driving modes include a main-drive-wheel driving mode in which the vehicle is to run with the drive power being distributed to the main drive wheels, and an all-wheel driving mode in which the vehicle is to run with the drive power being distributed to the main drive wheels and the auxiliary drive wheels, and
• wherein, when the all-wheel driving mode is selected in the main-drive-wheel driving mode with the engine being in a stopped state, the engine control portion is configured to maintain the stopped state of the engine until completion of switching from the main-drive-wheel driving mode to the all-wheel driving mode by the driving-mode control portion, and to start the engine after a predetermined operation is executed by the driver of the vehicle to cause the vehicle to run.