Control apparatus and method for vehicle having internal combustion engine

A control apparatus is provided for a vehicle including an internal combustion engine (1) capable of controlling an engine load, and a continuously variable transmission (17) coupled to an output side of the internal combustion engine and capable of controlling an output speed of the internal combustion engine. The control apparatus comprises exhaust purifying means, disposed in an exhaust system of the internal combustion engine, for purifying an exhaust gas while consuming a fuel, and operating state specifying means for placing the internal combustion engine in an operating state that enables generation of a required torque while giving higher priority to reduction in an amount of a pollutant in the exhaust gas than to reduction in a fuel consumption amount when the exhaust purifying device is not effectively functioning, and placing the internal combustion engine in an operating state that enables generation of a required torque while giving higher priority to reduction in the fuel consumption amount to reduction in the amount of the pollutant in the exhaust gas when the exhaust purifying device is effectively functioning.