Keeping the boot safely locked while unlocking the car doors

I want the boot to be unlocked only when someone with a key fob presses the button on the boot, not while unlocking the doors.

BHPian antariksh recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Prelude:

2 of our Ciaz leases are expiring within the next few months. We started to hunt for new cars. With the family growing bigger, we need to buy 3 cars.

• 1st Car, we straightaway booked Ciaz Alpha AT.
• 2nd Car has to be an EV, We have zeroed in on Tigor EV.
• 3rd Car, we are exploring options.

We considered Skoda Kushaq, Renault Kiger, Magnite, Venue, Sonet, Urban Cruiser, Brezza, Jazz, WR-V, Nissan Kicks

We wish this car to have an automatic transmission, petrol pseudo-SUV/C-SUV, strictly no to AMT. CVT. DCT or Torque Converter AT is ok.

Problem:

Each of us carries a laptop and some other valuables in a backpack. We prefer keeping the backpack in the boot.

All of the above cars have a Keyless Entry system.

When unlocking the car either through the button on the key or from inside the car, all 5 doors are unlocked.

This means, if someone is standing behind the boot door, he can press the "boot open button" on the boot and easily open it, increasing the chances of bag theft.

Does anyone know if there is a setting in any of the above cars that can prevent this?

The boot must open only if someone has a keyfob and presses the "boot open button" on the boot. It must not open in any other cases.

This type of boot open system is available in Ciaz, Dzire

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

I'm absolutely with you here. When you are carrying valuables, it sucks to have the boot unlocked when you unlock the doors. Thoughts:

• Some premium cars give you the option of unlocking just the driver's door when you unlock the car. Could be useful in your scenario if it's just you.
• Don't load valuables in the boot in front of prying eyes. Ideally, do it in your compound etc. before driving away. Don't dump your laptop in the boot *after* you park it at the destination as everyone will then know the boot has goodies in it.
• A few cars offer storage compartments that are hidden out of view (under the boot floor, under the driver's seat). Use them.
• Always deploy the parcel tray in hatchbacks & SUVs.
• If you want to step out, pull on the driver's door handle (instead of pressing the central locking button). The driver's door handle unlocks just the driver's door in many cars. Ditto when passengers want to get out (let them open their individual doors).

Here's what BHPian saikarthik had to say on the matter:

There has been a huge debate around this topic in automotive OEMs. Your use case matches perfectly with one side of the debate, which is quite reasonable. On the other hand, some users want simplicity and one button to unlock all. So, it's difficult for an OE to take just one side.

But, if the product planning department has data and the target customers/market info spot on, the OE can have different logic for that particular model. Example: Vehicles targeting urban and young people can go with separate operations for boot unlock, while a hatch used for general purpose/taxi segment can have one button press to unlock all doors.

My Nexon has a separate operation on remote to open the boot (Long press the search button - middle one), wherein unlock button just opens the door. This is not a passive keyless variant. Though logically it's possible to do if there is an additional antenna on the boot/tail door. The problem comes with cost-cutting to optimize the number of receiving antennas.

Here's what BHPian DigitalOne had to say on the matter:

Thanks antariksh for posting this. I have been meaning to post this problem in my Verna but never got around to it. I too agree that this is a safety issue for laptops. I always carry laptops in the boot since it is not visible.

Just a month back, close to my house, thieves broke the windows in a car and took away valuables.

GTO, I try to follow this religiously, but fail in this situation - wife steps out for a quick chore, asks to open the rear door to pick up shopping bag/handbag, I open the central lock (instead of leaning and opening the rear door), she closes the rear door and walks off, I get busy on my phone, the boot is unlocked till the time I realise and lock centrally again.

I really don't think many people would prefer to unlock the boot.

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