Patent ID: 8827866

Claim:
A vehicle comprising: an engine including a variable valve timing mechanism for an intake valve, the variable valve timing mechanism being configured to advance or retard an intake valve timing; a motor; a clutch that selectively couples the engine to a power transmission path between the motor and driving wheels; and a control unit configured to perform engine starting control when the engine is started in a motor running mode in which the vehicle runs only with power of the motor, by partially engaging the clutch while allowing the clutch to slip so as to raise a rotational speed of the engine, temporarily reducing engaging force of the clutch after the engine becomes able to rotate by itself, and then fully engaging the clutch, the control unit being configured to advance the intake valve timing at an earlier point in time, after the engine starting control is initiated, as a rotational speed of the motor detected when the engine is started in the motor running mode is higher.