Originally Posted by StormRune

So this whole thing got my curiosity up, so I went and looked at my car to see how the cable is run. Yours is close to correct.

In the first attached photo, you can see that the loop on the end of the metal cable attaches just like yours does, only it is positioned so that the eye of the cable is right up against the rubber grommet and oriented so that the cable runs parallel to the sheet metal. At this angle, it seems that it can grab the stiff plastic cable and pull on it securely enough to open the latch. The way it is positioned in the photo is just how I found it.

In the last image I extracted a section of the parts diagram that shows the cable. If you look closely you can see that it loops around the plastic cable just like ours. On the other end, you'll notice a loop in the cable itself that makes it easier to pull.

To get to that loop however, you have to remove the front part of the plastic wheel liner which probably involves removing the wheel, so it is certainly only something to consider as a last resort. The fuse box jumper is the way to go unless the electric latch has failed.