CLUTCH CONTROL DEVICE FOR FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLE

To achieve a balance between ensuring four-wheel drive performance during re-acceleration and reducing friction in a drive transmission system during braking when the foot is lifted off an accelerator in a low-speed region when the connected, four-wheel drive mode has been selected. The system for transmitting drive force to the left and right rear wheels (19, 20) comprises a dog clutch (8) and an electronically controlled coupling (16); a 4WD control unit (34) is provided, which controls the engagement and disengagement of the dog clutch (8) and the engagement and disengagement of the electronically controlled coupling (16). In this clutch control device for a four-wheel drive hybrid vehicle, the four-wheel drive hybrid vehicle includes a "disconnected, two-wheel drive mode" and a "connected, four-wheel drive mode." When the foot is lifted off an accelerator in a low-speed region when the "connected, four-wheel drive mode" is selected, the 4WD control unit (34) maintains the "connected, four-wheel drive mode" while the brakes are not depressed, and shifts the mode to the "disconnected, two-wheel drive mode" when the brakes are depressed.