Vehicle control system and method provided to change speed ratio smoothly when switching a power transmission route from a route including a geared transmission to a route including a continuously variable transmission. Vehicle control system applied to a vehicle comprising: continuously variable transmission for changing speed ratio continuously is disposed between input shaft and output shaft; geared transmission is disposed parallel to the continuously variable transmission, and is adapted to establish speed ratio that cannot be established by continuously variable transmission; and friction clutch is brought into engagement to switch torque transmission route from a route including the geared transmission to a route including the continuously variable transmission. Vehicle control system configured to start speed change operation of continuously variable transmission before the friction clutch is brought into engagement completely when switching torque transmission route from the route including the geared transmission to the route including the continuously variable transmission.