A control device for a vehicle includes: a coasting control unit configured to, during normal traveling at a low speed within a predetermined range, cause a vehicle to travel through inertia by blocking power transmission between an engine and driving wheels by disengaging a power transmitting/blocking device that includes a first engaging portion connected to the engine and a second engaging portion connected to the driving wheels, and by stopping the engine; and a return control unit configured not to full-engage the power transmitting/blocking device while the engine is cranking by a motor in a case of returning from coasting traveling to normal traveling and to full-engage the power transmitting/blocking device after the motor stops.

In the present invention, an internal combustion engine is provided with a variable-compression-ratio mechanism with a variable mechanical compression ratio and the variable-compression-ratio mechanism comprises a drive device for changing the volume of a combustion chamber when a piston reaches top dead center. The drive device comprises a reverse input blocking clutch disposed in a drive power transmission path for transmitting the rotational force of a rotator. A control device estimates the reverse input torque applied to an output shaft of the reverse input blocking clutch and sets a gradient for torque output by the rotator and a continuation duration for continuing the torque increase on the basis of the reverse input torque.

In the present invention, an internal combustion engine is provided with a variable-compression-ratio mechanism with a variable mechanical compression ratio and the variable-compression-ratio mechanism comprises a drive device for changing the volume of a combustion chamber when a piston reaches top dead center. The drive device comprises a reverse input blocking clutch disposed in a drive power transmission path for transmitting the rotational force of a rotator. A control device estimates the reverse input torque applied to an output shaft of the reverse input blocking clutch and sets a gradient for torque output by the rotator and a continuation duration for continuing the torque increase on the basis of the reverse input torque.

A vehicle control system configured to carry out an energy saving control is provided. The vehicle control system is applied to a vehicle having an engine, a torque converter, a transmission and a clutch device selectively connecting a turbine runner to the transmission. The vehicle control system executes the energy saving control by controlling both an operating condition of the engine and an engagement condition of the clutch device or only the engagement condition of the clutch device. The vehicle control system comprises a clutch control means configured to increase the torque transmitting capacity of the clutch device using an increasing amount of a speed of the turbine runner as a target value, when bringing the clutch device into engagement being in disengagement during execution of the energy saving control.

A power transmitting apparatus can be configured to restart an engine when the acceleration pedal is actuated in an assist-start engine speed range and can improve responsiveness of engine restart. Such a power transmitting apparatus of a vehicle can provided with a clutch for selectively transmitting or cutting off a driving power of an engine to wheels. The power transmitting apparatus can comprise an assist-controller configured to increase an engine rotational speed above an self-start rotational speed by actuating the clutch when the vehicle is decelerated and fuel supply to the engine is stopped, in response to operation of an acceleration pedal of the vehicle, when the engine rotational speed is in an assist-start range which is an engine rotational speed range lower than the self-start rotational speed and higher than a starter-start rotational speed in which the engine cannot be started by a starter.