A method of controlling a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) simulates a step-ratio transmission upshift. To simulate a step-ratio torque phase, the input torque is gradually reduced before beginning to change the variator ratio. Then, as the variator ratio is changed, the input torque is gradually increased to compensate for the decreasing torque ratio, simulating the relatively constant output torque of an inertia phase of a step-ratio upshift.