a first axle that is an axle of front wheels of the vehicle;

a second axle that is an axle of rear wheels of the vehicle;

a power source that can output power to the first axle;

a brake operation detection unit that detects a driver's brake operation;

a braking force applying unit that applies braking forces to said first axle and said second axle based on the driver's brake operation, and can independently apply the braking forces to said first axle and said second axle regardless of the driver's brake operation;

a road gradient detection unit that detects a road gradient in a front-back direction of the vehicle;

a target operation state setting module that sets a target operation state that is an operation state of said power source for outputting, to said first axle, a driving force based on said detected road gradient when said road gradient is a climbing gradient; and

a control module that performs climbing gradient drive control to control said power source and said braking force applying unit so that when said brake operation detection unit detects an operation of releasing the brakes as the driver's brake operation in a climbing gradient stopping state where the vehicle stops on a climbing gradient with the braking force by said braking force applying unit based on the driver's brake operation, the operation state of said power source gradually enters said target operation state and a braking state in said climbing gradient stopping state is gradually released,

wherein said climbing gradient drive control is control to release the braking state in said climbing gradient stopping state through an intermediate braking force holding state of releasing the braking force to said first axle while holding the braking force to said second axle in said climbing gradient stopping state.