I think mine is similar to your current hybrid. I have a 2009 Specialized Tricross. It has thicker tires, but you can put normal road tires on it. The nice thing is, if you want to go off road a little, it handles very well.

As for gearing, I rarely stand either...pretty much only when coasting in for a red light. I rode South Mountain here in Phoenix, with a gain of ~1500 feet, and never really got out of the saddle. Not only that, but I kept up with 2 fast guys riding really light bikes. In the easiest gear I felt like it would be faster to just get off the bike and walk, but I wasn't about to do that with those other guys right there.