Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's top automaker, said Friday its Sonata hybrid has received the "top satisfaction" award from a U.S.-based automotive research company.

   The carmaker said the mid-size car ranked No. 1 in the hybrid and electric-powered passenger car segment checked by AutoPacific Inc. This car segment was first launched in 2010 with the Mercury Milan hybrid and Lincoln MKZ hybrid being the early winners.

Hyundai's Sonata hybrid was first introduced in the U.S. market a year ago.

   The AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Award is an industry benchmark for measuring how actual owners feel about their cars by checking 48 different categories covering safety, product quality, performance and comfort.

   Hyundai said this year, the award was handed out after 75,000 car owners were surveyed with 14 passengers cars and 14 recreational vehicles and pickup trucks being evaluated.

   The carmaker has recently extended the battery, motor and the hybrid power control unit warranty on the Sonata hybrid to 10 years and 200,000 kilometers, up from six years and 120,000 kilometers in the past. (Yonhap News)