Deceleration control apparatus and method for automotive vehicle

A deceleration control apparatus for an automotive vehicle includes a target vehicle speed calculation unit (22) that calculates a target vehicle speed (V*) and a deceleration control unit (24) that performs deceleration control on the vehicle so that the vehicle reaches the target vehicle speed. The target vehicle speed calculation unit (22) has a first target vehicle speed calculating section to give as the target vehicle speed a first target vehicle speed value by dividing a multiplication product of an estimated road friction coefficient (µ) and a predetermined target lateral acceleration limit (γ*) by a determined actual yaw rate (φ*), and a target vehicle speed correcting section to correct the target vehicle speed depending on an accelerator pedal depression (θ) and a detected actual lateral acceleration (γ), so as to adjust the amount of deceleration control on the vehicle.