Marina to the Mountain: Koleos Gets You There in 6 Modes

Winter truly unlocks the UAE, it’s what everyone waits all year for. Open windows and the urge to drive somewhere, anywhere, just because you finally can. The Koleos understands, and obliges. Six driving modes, one vehicle, for a country that rewards that versatility.

Eco Mode: Neighbourhood Negotiator

Early morning in Al Warqa'a. Winter camp runs traffic, stop signs every 200 metres. Eco Mode earns its place here through intelligence. Throttle response softens, gear shifts come earlier, the engine settles into a rhythm that suits residential streets.

Whether threading through Al Majaz in Sharjah or navigating the tight internal roads of The Springs in Dubai, its utility becomes obvious. The Koleos becomes lighter on its feet, easier to place.

Comfort Mode: Commuter's Companion

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road or Sheikh Zayed Road from 7-9 am. Dubai to Sharjah. Deira to JLT. Furjan to DIFC. And the other drives that define the Emirates' working week. Comfort Mode is built for this: the long, straight crawl between districts.

The Koleos settles into a cruise that flows with the highway. Past Mirdiff when the highway opens up, or merging into the flow near Ittihad Road, confidence simply arrives without thought. Most drivers will live in this mode, because it understands what the majority of UAE driving actually involves. Getting there, repeatedly, without fatigue.

Sport Mode: Mountain Awakening

Everything changes past Al Dhaid. As the road begins to curl, inputs matter more. Enter Sport Mode, sharpening what's already there. The 2.0L turbocharged engine comes alive as throttle response tightens. The gearbox holds ratios longer, letting all 235 horses loose when the trail demands muscle.

On the winding climb to Khor Fakkan or the switchbacks toward Jebel Jais, Sport Mode reveals the Koleos as more than competent. Composed through corners, stable under braking, with 350 Nm of torque that launches you from standstill. The roads around Kalba and Hatta reward this kind of adaptability. Winter makes them worth the drive.

AI Adaptive Mode: Learning Curve

A mode that reads you instead of the road. It observes, and adjusts. Everything evolves to match your style, right down to the delicate dance of your foot on the gas pedal. AI Adaptive can recruit Eco, Sport and Comfort modes, switching from one to the other without any intervention. It’s intelligence that pays attention to how you drive, delivering the optimal experience to become an extension of your intent.

For drivers who skip the mode menu, this becomes the intelligent middle ground. Drive naturally, and the vehicle follows.

Snow Mode: Cool Control

It doesn't snow (not often, at least) in the UAE, but in Ras Al Khaimah temperatures drop, roads get damp from overnight fog, and the winding routes through elevated terrain demand more grip and less confidence than summer allows. Snow Mode delivers stability when conditions lose their edge.

Power delivery becomes gentler. Traction control intervenes earlier. The Koleos prioritises composure, ideal for the cooler, tighter roads around Jebel Jais or the descent into Wadi Bih.

Terrain Mode: Controlled Venturing

The Koleos handles accessible desert terrain, the kind reached without convoys or recovery gear. Off-Road Mode adds capability most drivers won't use often, but will appreciate when they do. Enough for the packed trails beyond Lehbab, the stretches near Masafi, or the exploratory tracks leading off the Sharjah-Kalba road. This mode acknowledges reality: most off-road driving in the UAE is recreational, not expeditionary. The Koleos handles it with confidence and clear expectations. Access terrain, explore it, enjoy it.

The Verdict

Six modes, one vehicle, built for a country where driving conditions shift faster than the weather. The Koleos adapts intelligently to roads most UAE drivers actually face. Versatility is the whole story.