A Range Rover boot looks enormous, and in most respects it is. It is tall, square and deep, and it takes the sort of load that would defeat a saloon twice over. What it is not is infinitely flexible, and there are two features of the design that change how you should think about it: the split tailgate, and the height of the floor above the road.
Neither is a drawback once you know about them. The split tailgate is genuinely useful and the high floor is the price of ground clearance. But they do determine what loads well, what needs lifting, and why a long-wheelbase vehicle with executive rear seating may carry less than you assumed. Here is the practical version.
The dependable figure
Three large checked cases with three cabin bags is what we work to, and it goes in without any cleverness required. Cases can stand upright against the rear seat backs, which is the efficient way to load a tall boot, leaving the space towards the tailgate free for softer bags stacked on top.
A fourth large case is often possible depending on the proportions of the cases and whether the vehicle carries a full-size spare wheel beneath the floor. We do not quote four, because we would rather promise three and deliver comfort than promise four and rely on a particular combination of suitcases showing up.
The split tailgate in practice
The tailgate is in two parts. The upper section lifts, and the lower section folds down flat to become a shelf at the back of the vehicle. Both are usually powered. The lower section is genuinely useful: it holds the load in place, gives the chauffeur somewhere to rest a case while rearranging, and doubles as a seat at a shoot or a point-to-point.
The catch is that the lower section adds depth behind the vehicle when open, so the chauffeur needs a little more space at the kerb than for a conventional tailgate. In a busy set-down bay this is the reason a good chauffeur positions the vehicle with a car length behind rather than tucking neatly into the smallest possible gap.
The loading height
The boot floor sits high, because ground clearance has to come from somewhere. Lifting a heavy case up to that height is real work, which is why your chauffeur handles the luggage rather than leaving it to you. Air suspension helps considerably, as most vehicles can be lowered at the rear for loading and raised again afterwards.
If you are travelling with very heavy cases, or if anyone in the party intends to load their own bag, it is worth knowing this in advance. It is also a good reason to keep the heaviest items in the fewest bags rather than distributing weight across many, since fewer lifts is better than lighter ones.
What suits this load bay
The shape of the space rewards tall, rigid items and punishes nothing except real length. These are the loads that go in well and are among the reasons clients choose this vehicle for country weekends and shooting parties.
- Large hard cases stood on end against the seat backs
- Boot bags, wellingtons and wet outdoor kit, kept below the parcel cover
- Gun slips and rod tubes, laid diagonally across the floor
- A folded wheelchair or walking frame alongside two large cases
- Dog crates and travel beds, where a guard is fitted to the vehicle
- Cases of wine, hampers and flowers, which stand upright without tipping
What reduces the space
Several factors quietly cost capacity, and none of them are obvious from a photograph. It is worth checking rather than assuming when your load is close to the limit.
- Executive rear seating, which moves the rear seat backs further aft
- A full-size spare wheel beneath the floor rather than a repair kit
- A fitted luggage cover or dog guard, which sets a firm ceiling
- Rear-seat entertainment screens, which limit how far seats recline
- Bulky child seats, which take room in the cabin rather than the boot
- Skis and long items, which need the rear seats folded to fit at all
Deciding between this and an MPV
Four passengers with four large cases is the point at which we start suggesting a luxury MPV instead, particularly if the run is to an airport. Two passengers with a country weekend of luggage, dogs, boots and a case of wine is precisely where the Range Rover is unbeatable, and no MPV would do the last mile as well.
Vehicles are supplied from our own fleet and from a vetted network of professional chauffeur operators, so wheelbase, seating configuration, colour and specification vary and are subject to availability at the time of booking. Send us the load and the destination and we will tell you which vehicle we would actually send.
