A control method for a hybrid vehicle in which the hybrid vehicle includes an internal-combustion engine, a traction motor that electrically drives the hybrid vehicle, a continuous variable transmission provided between an output shaft of the internal-combustion engine and an axle of first drive wheels, a clutch (16; 70) provided between the output shaft of the internal-combustion engine and an input shaft of the continuous variable transmission, and a starter motor connected coaxially to the output shaft of the internal-combustion engine, the method comprising the steps of: determining whether there is a need to add a traction force of the internal-combustion engine from a state where the vehicle is driven by the traction motor alone; starting the internal-combustion engine using the starter motor in a state where the clutch (16; 70) is disengaged when it is determined that there is a need to add the traction force of the internal-combustion engine, subsequently increasing a torque of the internal-combustion engine and controlling a speed ratio of the continuous variable transmission so that a rotation speed of the input shaft of the continuous variable transmission achieves a target speed for starting clutch (16; 70) engagement; detecting a rotation speed of the output shaft of the internal-combustion engine; detecting the rotation speed of the input shaft of the continuous variable transmission; adding a load of the starter motor to the internal-combustion engine, when the detected rotation speed of the output shaft of the internal-combustion engine becomes as high as or higher than the rotation speed of the input shaft of the continuous variable transmission; and operating the clutch (16; 70) to be engaged, when the detected rotation speed of the output shaft of the internal-combustion engine becomes as high as or higher than the detected rotation speed of the input shaft of the continuous variable transmission, wherein said method is characterized in that, while performing said step of adding the load of the starter motor, the step of controlling the speed ratio of the continuous variable transmission is switched from the achieving the target speed to increasing the rotation speed of the input shaft of the continuous variable transmission. determining whether there is a need to add a traction force of the internal-combustion engine from a state where the vehicle is driven by the traction motor alone; starting the internal-combustion engine using the starter motor in a state where the clutch (16; 70) is disengaged when it is determined that there is a need to add the traction force of the internal-combustion engine, subsequently increasing a torque of the internal-combustion engine and controlling a speed ratio of the continuous variable transmission so that a rotation speed of the input shaft of the continuous variable transmission achieves a target speed for starting clutch (16; 70) engagement; detecting a rotation speed of the output shaft of the internal-combustion engine; detecting the rotation speed of the input shaft of the continuous variable transmission; adding a load of the starter motor to the internal-combustion engine, when the detected rotation speed of the output shaft of the internal-combustion engine becomes as high as or higher than the rotation speed of the input shaft of the continuous variable transmission; and operating the clutch (16; 70) to be engaged, when the detected rotation speed of the output shaft of the internal-combustion engine becomes as high as or higher than the detected rotation speed of the input shaft of the continuous variable transmission,