Kia Malta Gifts Neil Agius World Car Of The Year
Ultra-endurance swimmer and environmental activist Neil Agius has officially been rewarded for his latest world record. Kia Malta handed him the all-new Kia EV3, crowned World Car of the Year for 2025.
The surprise gift comes after Neil completed a staggering 142.3km unassisted swim around the Maltese Islands in September 2024. The swim, which started in Mellieħa Bay and ended at Għar Lapsi, took 60 hours and 35 minutes to complete and has been ratified as a world record by the World Open Water Swimming Association, smashing his previous 2021 record of 125.7km.
As Kia Malta’s brand ambassador, Neil has long shared the company’s vision for a cleaner, more sustainable future — driven by innovation, determination and purpose. To mark his monumental achievement, the team behind Kia Malta felt it was only fitting to hand him the keys to their boldest vehicle yet: the Kia EV3.
A fully electric SUV, the EV3 has just been named World Car of the Year 2025. With a range of up to 610km on a single charge and ultra-fast charging from 10% to 80% in just over 30 minutes, it’s a powerful step forward in clean mobility.
The EV3 also takes sustainable design seriously. Its interiors are packed with recycled and bio-based materials — from seats made with PET bottles to carpets created from fishing nets. Even the dashboard and trims use repurposed fabrics. Kia’s team has even experimented with mushroom-based mycelium to design parts of the centre console. It’s the kind of forward-thinking approach that fits perfectly with Neil’s values and vision.
But Neil isn’t done yet.
Off the back of his 142km swim, he’s now gearing up for his next big challenge: The Gozo 7. It’s a gruelling seven-day experiment in human endurance, during which he’ll swim the distance of a marathon — roughly 42km — every day around Gozo. That means up to 15 hours in the water daily.
Throughout the project, a dedicated team of scientists will track Neil’s physical and mental limits, analysing how tools like breathwork, recovery routines and mindset can help people push through life’s toughest challenges. The goal? To show what the human body and mind are capable of when supported by community and driven by purpose.
Congratulations Neil, truly well deserved!