The much stigmatized station wagon label has been seen as an insult of sorts in the auto industry in recent years.

But if the Volvo V70 could talk, it likely would recite the old childhood refrain, "Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me."

Photo by Volvo (ENLARGE)

Volvo V70 station wagon

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This is a beautiful, luxurious vehicle, whether you call it a station wagon or something else.

The V70 has a standard 3.2-liter, inline-six-cylinder engine that makes 235 horsepower and 236 foot-pounds of torque.

There's a six-speed automatic transmission with Geartronic manual shift mode. The exterior design is sleek and modern, but also conveys strength.

On the inside, there's a distinct European flair that is pleasing.

Fit and finish are terrific. Quality materials were used in its construction. And there is abundant comfort, as you would demand in a family vehicle.

The center console has several conveniently placed buttons that are easy to reach at night because they glow.

Other controls on the dash are intuitively placed.

The roominess of the interior is remarkable. You could easily have a couple of adults and two, maybe three, kids with luggage, and take a lengthy trip and everyone would be fairly comfortable.

Even tall adults will feel comfortable in the rear seats. For carrying large items, the split-folding rear seats go flat as a pancake simply by yanking a lever.

On the road, that six-cylinder engine had way more power than we expected. When it came time to hit the throttle, you got quite a nice surge, but the ride remained smooth.

Engine noise was minimal.

Fuel economy was pretty good for a vehicle this size.

The V70's EPA ratings were 16 city and 24 highway, but the test drive model seemed to do a little better than that.

The price of this Volvo is pleasantly reasonable.

The tester had a sticker of $34,410.