Force Urbania seating capacity: every layout, and the two you can hire in Varanasi
· 6 min read
A Force Urbania seats 9 to 16 passengers plus the driver. Which number you get depends on the body length and the seat layout Force fitted at the factory. The longest one takes 16 and the driver, and that's the van rental operators, us included, call a 17 seater.
We only run two kinds of Urbania in Varanasi: the Force Urbania 17 Seater and the Maharaja Urbania 9 Seater, which was fitted out with lounge recliners after it left the factory. So this page does two jobs. First it lays out every factory layout from Force's own brochure, which we read in October 2026. Then it tells you which of those you can actually hire here.
Every Force Urbania layout, side by side
| Body | Nose to tail | Seats you can get |
|---|---|---|
| The short one (3350 mm wheelbase) | 5,440 mm | 9 or 10 seats |
| The middle one (3615 mm) | 6,225 mm | 9, 12 or 13 seats |
| The long one (4400 mm) | 7,010 mm | 12, 13 or 16 seats |
From the front you couldn't tell which is which. They're all 2,095 mm wide and 2,550 mm high. The difference is behind you, in how far back the van goes, and Force fills the extra with seats. Force leaves the driver out of every count, so add one if you're working out how many heads fit in the van.
Force's own website doesn't quite agree with itself on the middle one. Look at the medium wheelbase tab: the heading says 13, and the drawing right under it says 12+D. Which is it? Both, as it turns out. The brochure has a 9, a 12 and a 13 for that body. If someone quotes you a medium Urbania, ask whether it's the 12 or the 13. The site also shows only the biggest layout for each length, which is why you see 10, 13 and 16 quoted everywhere and the 9-seat and 12-seat versions hardly at all.
Why a 17 seater carries 16
Force doesn't make an Urbania with 17 passenger seats. Its biggest layout is 16 plus the driver. Operators count the driver's seat as well and print 17 on the listing, and our own fleet page does the same. So when you see a 17 seater Urbania anywhere, plan on 16 passengers. If there are exactly 17 of you, you'll need a second vehicle.
The two you can hire in Varanasi
We don't run the short or medium bodies at all. Our two vans, side by side:
| Force Urbania 17 Seater | Maharaja Urbania 9 Seater | |
|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 16 + driver | 9 + driver |
| Seats | Reclining seats | Nine lounge recliners |
| Bags | 10 | 8 |
| Per km | ₹30 | ₹37 |
| 8 hr / 80 km | ₹4,999 | ₹5,999 |
| 12 hr / 200 km | ₹5,999 | ₹7,499 |
| Driver allowance | ₹400 a day | ₹600 a day |
| Airport transfer | ₹2,799 | ₹3,499 |
The 17 Seater is the long body with every seat in. Families book it for a temple day with grandparents, or for a run out to Bodhgaya or Ayodhya with the whole group in one van. See the 17 Seater.
The Maharaja is the same shell with most of the seats taken out. Nine big recliners and a table between the back pair. It's for a smaller group that wants room more than it wants seats. See the Maharaja.
Seats vs luggage: what fits
This is where groups get caught out. We plan on 10 bags in the 17 Seater and 8 in the Maharaja. Fill all 16 seats in the bigger van and you've got fewer bag spaces than people, so a full group does better with one suitcase between two, or soft bags that squash in. The Maharaja runs the other way round. Eight bags between nine people is easy.
- Nine or fewer of you, lots of luggage, a long drive? Take the Maharaja.
- Ten to 16 of you? The 17 Seater, and tell us your bag count before the day.
- Seventeen or more means two vans, and we'll quote both together.
Urbania or tempo traveller for your group
A standard tempo traveller carries a group the same size for ₹23/km, against our ₹30/km. On a city day of temples and traffic you'll barely notice what the extra buys. Five or six hours on the highway to Bodhgaya is a different story. We've written the trade-off up properly, including when we'd tell you not to pay for an Urbania. Urbania vs tempo traveller in Varanasi.
One honest note before you compare. Our fleet pages call the Urbania's ride air suspension. Force's brochure lists something else: a transverse leaf spring with independent front suspension at the front, and a leaf spring at the rear. If the suspension matters to your choice, ask us and we'll tell you what's on the van you're booking.
Rates and booking
Hire in town is a package, either 8 hr / 80 km or 12 hr / 200 km, at the rates in the table above. Outstation is charged per kilometre, with a minimum of 250 km for each day you keep the van, plus the driver allowance. GST, toll and parking are extra. The full rate card.
Still not sure which one fits? Send us your head count and how many bags on WhatsApp, 9250331290. We'll tell you straight which van to take, or whether you need two. Ask us which Urbania fits.
Already know the dates? Book your Urbania.
Common questions
How many people can sit in a Force Urbania?
Anywhere from 9 to 16 passengers, and the driver on top of that. It comes down to which of the three lengths you get, and how Force set the seats out inside it. The long one with 16 is what everyone sells as the 17 seater.
Does a 17 seater Urbania really fit seventeen of you?
It's 16. Force's biggest layout is 16 plus the driver, and the 17 counts the driver's seat. Our own 17 Seater is that van, so plan for 16 of you.
Does Force make a 10-seat Urbania?
Yes. The short wheelbase comes with 10 seats plus the driver, or 9. We don't run that body in Varanasi, though. If there are ten of you, you'd go in our 17 Seater here.
Does the medium Urbania seat 12 or 13?
Both versions exist. Force's site puts 13 in the heading but labels the drawing 12+D, and the brochure lists 9, 12 and 13. Ask whoever's renting it which one they've actually got.
How much luggage fits in an Urbania?
Force doesn't publish a bag count, so we go by our own vans. We plan on 10 bags in the 17 Seater and 8 in the Maharaja 9 Seater. If every seat is full, pack light.
What does an Urbania cost per km in Varanasi?
With us it's ₹30/km for the 17 Seater and ₹37/km for the Maharaja 9 Seater, plus ₹400 or ₹600 a day for the driver. City packages start at ₹4,999 for 8 hr / 80 km.