Engine shut-down control in a hybrid vehicle

A hybrid vehicle has an engine, a generator motor, a drive motor, a drive wheel mechanically connected to the engine, the generator motor and the drive motor, stop means for stopping revolution of the engine, and generator motor control processing means for, when the hybrid vehicle is to be started, covering a shortfall of the drive force produced by the drive motor with the drive force produced by the generator motor by using a reaction force provided by the stop means. The generator motor control processing means causes a generation of a generator motor torque in dependence on a difference between a changing rate of a requested torque and a limiting value of a changing rate of a drive motor torque pre-set for the drive motor. Thus, the changing rate of the vehicle torque and the changing rate of the requested torque can be made equal, thereby preventing an uncomfortable sensation from being caused to a driver when a hybrid vehicle is to be started.