A vehicle includes a transmission, a powerplant, an inertial measurement unit, and a controller. The transmission has an input shaft and an output shaft. The powerplant is configured to generate and deliver torque to the input shaft. The inertial measurement unit is configured to measure inertial forces exerted onto the vehicle. The controller is programmed to, in response to a demanded torque at the output shaft and a non-transient condition of the vehicle, control the torque at the output shaft based on a torque at the input shaft and a gear ratio of the step-ratio transmission. The controller is further programmed to, in response to the demanded torque at the output shaft and a transient condition of the vehicle, control the torque at the output shaft based on the inertial forces and a vehicle velocity.