Controller for starting vehicular direct-injection engine

The present invention provides a controller for starting a vehicular direct-injection engine in which starting a multi-ignition direct-injection engine necessitates fewer ignitions. When ignition of a direct-injection engine (12) is started in a first-firing cylinder, that is, a first cylinder (K1), a number of ignitions that is less than that performed during an ignition start that preceded the current ignition start is set on the basis of the ignition timing dependent on the ion current flowing during the ignition start that preceded the current ignition start. Consequently, when the direct-injection engine (12) is ignition-started, there will be fewer multi-ignitions than during the ignition start that preceded the current ignition start, and therefore the power consumption needed for ignition can be reduced, and the vehicle fuel consumption is suitably improved.