This vehicle control device 10 is provided with: a current gear stage selection unit 13 which selects a current gear stage, which is the gear stage of the vehicle in the present travel state; a travel segment determination unit 15 which determines the next travel segment forwards in the direction of travel of the vehicle V; and a shift control unit 17 which, in the case that the current gear stage selection unit 13 has newly selected a target gear stage lower than the current gear stage during travel of the vehicle V in the current gear stage in the current travel segment, if the next travel segment can be traveled in the current gear stage and the amount the vehicle V will lose speed after traveling the current travel segment is less than or equal to a prescribed threshold value, controls shifting of the gear stage such that downshifting from the current gear stage to the target gear stage is suppressed and the current gear stage is maintained. Even in a state in which downshifting is suppressed, if the state of the vehicle the satisfies a prescribed condition, then the shift control unit 17 controls shifting of the gear stage so as to downshift to the target gear stage without suppression of downshifting.

A dual clutch transmission for a vehicle may include a first input shaft to which a first clutch is connected; a second input shaft connected to a second clutch and disposed coaxially with the first input shaft; a first output shaft, a second output shaft and a third output shaft disposed in parallel with the first input shaft and the second input shaft; and a combined gear group including two pairs of external gears configured to be connected in series to each other or disconnected from each other so that power of the first input shaft is decelerated in two steps using the first output shaft to enable the second input shaft to be driven in a direction in which the first input shaft is driven.

A dual clutch transmission for a vehicle may include a first input shaft to which a first clutch is connected; a second input shaft connected to a second clutch and disposed coaxially with the first input shaft; a first output shaft, a second output shaft and a third output shaft disposed in parallel with the first input shaft and the second input shaft; and a combined gear group including two pairs of external gears configured to be connected in series to each other or disconnected from each other so that power of the first input shaft is decelerated in two steps using the first output shaft to enable the second input shaft to be driven in a direction in which the first input shaft is driven.

This vehicle control device 10 is provided with: a current gear stage selection unit 13 which selects a current gear stage, which is the gear stage of the vehicle in the present travel state; a travel segment determination unit 15 which determines the next travel segment forwards in the direction of travel of the vehicle V; and a shift control unit 17 which, in the case that the current gear stage selection unit 13 has newly selected a target gear stage lower than the current gear stage during travel of the vehicle V in the current gear stage in the current travel segment, if the next travel segment can be traveled in the current gear stage and the amount the vehicle V will lose speed after traveling the current travel segment is less than or equal to a prescribed threshold value, controls shifting of the gear stage such that downshifting from the current gear stage to the target gear stage is suppressed and the current gear stage is maintained. Even in a state in which downshifting is suppressed, if the state of the vehicle the satisfies a prescribed condition, then the shift control unit 17 controls shifting of the gear stage so as to downshift to the target gear stage without suppression of downshifting.