In the world of hybrids, there are two schools of thought: You can buy a Toyota Prius — a hard-core, 50-mpg hybrid with funky styling and a utilitarian interior — or you can pay more and get less-spectacular mileage in a more comfortable sedan, like a Ford Fusion or Toyota Camry hybrid. Hyundai joins that second group with its first hybrid, which is based on the Sonata sedan.

The Sonata Hybrid is a comfortable cruiser with little to no tradeoff in terms of comfort or performance compared with the gasoline-only, four-cylinder Sonata.

What exactly does the Sonata Hybrid have that will distance it from the Camry and Fusion hybrids? It has a more advanced battery pack, better mileage on the highway, a traditional six-speed automatic transmission … and it looks cool, too.

It does have some drawbacks, but none that come close to eclipsing its wow factor.

• Hybrid-ness
• Performance
• Features
• Safety
• Sonata Hybrid in the Market