HYBRID VEHICLE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR

A hybrid vehicle includes a multi-cylinder engine, an exhaust gas control apparatus including a catalyst for removing exhaust gas from the multi-cylinder engine, an electric motor, and a control device configured to execute catalyst temperature increase control for stopping fuel supply to at least one cylinder and making an air-fuel ratio in each of remaining cylinders rich in a case where a temperature increase of a catalyst is requested during a load operation of the multi-cylinder engine, execute control such that an electric motor supplements insufficient drive power due to the execution of the catalyst temperature increase control, and change the air-fuel ratio in at least one of the remaining cylinders to a lean side after a temperature of the exhaust gas control apparatus becomes equal to or higher than a determination threshold value during the execution of the catalyst temperature increase control.