By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 8 min read
The capacity chart: seats, large suitcases and carry-ons per vehicle
Chauffeur car luggage capacity depends on the vehicle: a sedan such as the Mercedes S-Class takes 3 passengers and about 2 large suitcases. A GMC Yukon or Mercedes V-Class takes 6 passengers with 3 to 4 large cases. A Mercedes Sprinter takes 13 to 19 passengers, with luggage space set by its seat layout. The tables below cover every vehicle Assure lists, own fleet and partner network.
How to read them:
- Passengers excludes the chauffeur.
- Large is a full-size checked suitcase. Cabin is a carry-on bag that fits on top.
- Every count assumes every passenger seat is in use. Fewer passengers, or a folded row, leave more room.
- The counts are Assure’s planning figures, estimated from the makers’ boot space. They are not measured, so send your exact bags and they are checked against the car.
- Rows marked partner network are cars available through our partner network, subject to availability.
Why the seat count is not the passenger count
A maker’s seat count includes the driver’s seat, and in a chauffeur car the chauffeur sits in it. Cadillac lists the Escalade for up to 8 seats, but 1 of them is the chauffeur’s. GMC lists the Yukon for up to 9. Toyota UAE calls the Coaster a 23-seater and the Hiace van a 13-seater.
Assure then plans fewer passengers than the remaining seats, for two reasons:
- Sedans carry 3, all in the rear. The front passenger seat stays free, the usual practice in chauffeured cars. That is why the S-Class, 7 Series and Lexus ES 300h are listed for 3.
- Three-row SUVs and vans carry 6. The third row uses most of the boot. Cadillac gives the Escalade 722 L behind the third row and 2,064 L behind the second. Every extra passenger beyond 6 means fewer suitcases.
How big is a large suitcase? Airline limits explained
There is no single size. The best guide is your airline’s limit, because a bag the airline accepts is the bag your chauffeur has to load.
Emirates sets these for most routes (the weight concept):
- No single checked bag may weigh more than 32 kg.
- The length, width and height of each bag must add up to no more than 203 cm. Anything bigger goes as cargo.
On flights to and from the Americas and from Africa, Emirates uses the piece concept. Each bag must add up to no more than 150 cm, with oversize fees between 150 cm and 203 cm.
Assure’s chart counts a large suitcase as a full-size hard or soft case of the kind airlines check. A golf bag in its travel cover, a folded pram or a boxed bicycle each counts as one large item. Say how long it is when you book.
Sedans: S-Class, 7 Series, Lexus ES 300h and E-Class
| Car | Supplied by | Passengers | Large | Cabin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz S-Class | Assure fleet | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| BMW 7 Series | Assure fleet | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Lexus ES 300h | Assure fleet | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Mercedes-Benz E-Class | Partner network | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| BMW 5 Series | Partner network | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Audi A6 | Partner network | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Genesis G80 | Partner network | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Audi A8 | Partner network | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Lexus LS | Partner network | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Genesis G90 | Partner network | 3 | 2 | 1 |
BMW gives the 7 Series 540 L, or 525 L for the 750e plug-in hybrid. Lexus gives the ES 454 L. Mercedes-Benz Dubai prints no boot figure for the S-Class. The sedans differ by a cabin bag at most, so pick a sedan for its rear seat, not its boot. Our S-Class and 7 Series comparison covers the rear seats.
The ultra-luxury sedans carry the same 3 passengers. The Rolls-Royce Ghost and Phantom and the Bentley Flying Spur take 2 large cases. The Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV takes 3. All are partner vehicles.
SUVs: GMC Yukon, Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban and others

| Car | Supplied by | Passengers | Large | Cabin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMC Yukon | Assure fleet | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Cadillac Escalade | Assure fleet | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Chevrolet Suburban | Partner network | 6 | 5 | 2 |
| Nissan Patrol | Partner network | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Mercedes-Benz GLS | Partner network | 5 | 2 | 2 |
| BMW X7 | Partner network | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Range Rover | Partner network | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Lexus LX | Partner network | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Porsche Cayenne | Partner network | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Mercedes-Benz G-Class | Partner network | 3 | 2 | 2 |
The Suburban is the luggage pick among the SUVs. Chevrolet gives it 41.5 cu ft behind the third row, about 1,175 L, against 722 L in the standard Escalade. Cadillac’s long Escalade ESV has the same 1,175 L. The two-row SUVs (Range Rover, LX, Cayenne, G-Class) are planned like sedans, with 3 passengers on the rear bench.
People movers: V-Class, Kia Carnival, Hyundai Staria and Citroen SpaceTourer

| Car | Supplied by | Passengers | Large | Cabin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes-Benz V-Class | Assure fleet | 6 | 4 | 2 |
| Kia Carnival | Assure fleet | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Citroen SpaceTourer | Assure fleet | 6 | 3 | 2 |
| Hyundai Staria | Assure fleet | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Mercedes-Benz Vito | Partner network | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| Mercedes-Benz Viano | Partner network, confirm first | 6 | 3 | 2 |
Mercedes-Benz gives the V-Class 610 L to 5,010 L of luggage space, depending on the length and seat layout. Hyundai UAE gives the 7-seat Staria Premium 431 L behind the seats, which is why it is planned for 2 large cases. The 9-seat Staria has 882 L. The Viano is the older model the V-Class replaced, so ask for its model year. The full set is on our vans page, and the 6-seaters are compared in our 7-seater guide.
Vans and minibuses: Sprinter, Toyota Hiace and Toyota Coaster

| Vehicle | Supplied by | Passengers | Large | Cabin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes Sprinter, 13 seats | Assure fleet | 13 | 6 | 6 |
| Mercedes Sprinter, 19 seats | Assure fleet | 19 | 3 | 6 |
| Toyota Hiace | Partner network | 12 | 3 | 6 |
| Ford Transit | Partner network | 14 | 3 | 6 |
| Toyota Coaster | Partner network, confirm first | 22 | 0 | 10 |
| 35-seat coach | Partner network, confirm first | 35 | 15 | 35 |
| 50-seat coach | Partner network, confirm first | 50 | 35 | 50 |
The two Sprinters show the trade-off best. The 13-seat layout keeps a luggage area for about 6 large cases. The 19-seat layout fills that area with seats, leaving room for about 3. The Coaster has no separate luggage hold, so large cases travel in a second vehicle. Coach luggage holds vary by make, so confirm the hold before booking a coach for an airport run. See the minibuses page for each layout.
What if your luggage does not fit? Second cars and bigger vehicles
There are three fixes, in this order:
- A bigger car of the same kind. A group of 6 with 5 large cases fits a Chevrolet Suburban, but not a Yukon with its third row in use.
- A van for people and bags together. Six passengers with 6 large cases outgrow the V-Class. A 13-seat Sprinter is planned for exactly 6 large cases, and leaves 7 seats spare.
- A second car for the bags. For a VIP in an S-Class with 4 cases, a second car follows with the luggage.
Groups that need more than one vehicle are planned through our van and group transport service or as a minibus rental. Both are quoted by seats and by bags.
What to tell us when you book
Send these on WhatsApp to +971 56 684 8148, and the car is sized before you travel:
- The number of passengers, with the ages of any children.
- The number of large suitcases and of cabin bags.
- Any odd items: golf bags, prams, wheelchairs, ski bags, boxed bikes, with their length.
- Your flight number and terminal, for an airport pickup.
At Dubai Airports there is no pick-up area at Arrivals. Your chauffeur meets you in the arrivals hall with your name on a board and walks you to the car in the terminal car park. Our guide to meet and greet at Dubai airport explains the walk, and airport transfers lists every UAE airport.
Airline baggage limits to check before you fly
Your allowance sets how many bags reach the car, so check it first. These are the Emirates allowances under the weight concept.
| Cabin | Checked allowance |
|---|---|
| Economy | 20, 25, 30 or 35 kg, by fare (Special, Saver, Flex, Flex Plus) |
| Premium Economy | 35 kg |
| Business | 40 kg |
| First | 50 kg |
Under the piece concept (the Americas and Africa), Emirates counts bags as 23 kg or 32 kg pieces instead, so a family flying from New York can arrive with more cases than a V-Class takes. Other airlines set their own limits, so check yours.
For the cars behind these numbers, by class and by occasion, start with our guide to which chauffeur car to book, or browse the whole fleet.
Photos in this guide

The open, empty boot of a Lexus ES 300h sedan with the boot lid raisedDinkun Chen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

A white GMC Yukon XL Denali, the long-wheelbase version of the YukonEthan Llamas / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

A black long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz V-Class with sliding side doorsAlexander Migl / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

A white Toyota Hiace Commuter van on a showroom floorCaptainmorlypogi1959 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0



