Shift control device for vehicular automatic transmission

A shift control device for a vehicular automatic transmission including:

• a manual shift mode which switches a shift level to that to a higher speed area or a lower speed area sequentially from a plurality of predetermined shift levels in accordance with a shift command based on a manual operation by a driver;
• an automatic shift mode in which gear ratios or gear positions are automatically altered in accordance with a predetermined shift rule;
• and
• the manual shift mode and the automatic shift mode being alternatively selected by a selection operating member,
• the shift control device comprising:
• initial shift level setting means (i) that determines when the manual shift mode is selected by the selection operating member, a shift mode switching or a manual shift mode direct-selecting based on whether the manual shift mode is switched from the automatic shift mode continuing for a predetermined certain time period or more, and (ii) that sets in the shift mode switching, shift level in a lower speed area than that in the manual shift mode direct-selecting, as an initial shift level in the beginning of the manual shift mode.