K&N Replacement Air Filter : Santro Xing

I got my Xing, named Charlotte (after Kristin Davis' character in Sex and the City), as a present on my 18th birthday. This Forest Dew coloured hatchback is one cool car. It comes loaded with a really quick, and powerful engine. It is fuel efficient, and does great in the city. However, that wasn't good enough for me. :D


I found out from the Hyundai service guy, Prithvin, that i had several options when it came to modifying my engine.. I could simply change the air filters to a performance set, change the intake system, or change the fuel injection system.

A performance K&N air filter is a Nylon based washable filter. The OEM filter is a paper one, and cannot be washed.. The K&N can pull in 440CFM of air, while the OEM filter can do just about 320CFM. The more air the intake system can pull in, the better..

The issue, however, is that for higher performance, the volume of air being pulled into the engine isn't the only factor. The velocity of this air also plays an important part. A performance intake system rids the engine of the air box, and replaces it with a single metal tube, with a conical air filter at the end. The conical air filter allows over 800CFM of air to be pulled in, while ensuring high velocity. As a result, performance of the engine is boosted by 10%, and a heavenly vroom sound induced into the engine :)

A replacement air filter costs INR 3500 while an intake system such as the K&N Typhoon would cost INR 7000. I settled for the the performance air filter for now. The moment i had this filter installed, the pickup had improved, and acceleration was a lot smoother. I've had this filter for a month now, and i've noticed that the car is a little more efficient when it comes to fuel. The difference can be seen particlularly between the second and third gear, where the acceleration is simply superb, even better than the acceleration of the stock engine.

The replacement filter is worth the dough, and you'll see the difference the moment you have it installed.. Replacement takes 10minutes, and the filter is claimed to last for 100000 miles before needing a replacement. Regular cleaning and tuning ensures top notch performance at all times.

I will be switching to the Typhoon intake system shortly. Will update you once i've had it installed.