Power tailgates lighten loads

Sheldon Williams, Gleaner Writer

Access to the hatch of some Sports Utility Vehicles has been made easier with hands-free power tailgate/lift gate technology. The feature allows the tailgate to be operated with the touch of a button on the vehicle's smart key.

In addition, the smart tailgate feature allows access without pressing any buttons, as once the smart key is within range, the movement of a foot under the rear bumper will open the tailgate.

Kingston Industrial Garage (KIG), Fidelity Motors, and Kia Motors are a few of the local dealerships which offer the feature on some of their models.

Nicholas Thomas, sales executive at KIG, said while the Subaru Forester, Ford Explorer, and Ford Edge are equipped with the regular powered tailgate feature, only the Ford Kuga has smart tailgate capability. The system debuted on Kuga's sister model, the Ford Escape in late 2011 in North America.

"The Kuga alone allows you to use your foot to open it. But they all work the same way in terms of opening and closing the regular tailgate," Thomas said.

He said the tailgate also has automatic height adjustment. "This is where you can adjust it so that it doesn't open up and hit up on the garage or wherever you are parked.You can set it so it goes halfway up and comes back down," Thomas.

convenience

Dominic Moore, director at Kia Motors, said the maker introduced the feature to its line recently and it is available on several of the dealership's vehicles. "Kia's power lift gate was first introduced on the Kia Carnival which is a seven-seater minivan. Power tailgate is also on the 2013 and 2014 Sorentos," he said.

"I think the power lift gate is useful or more convenient to persons who have kids and won't be able to lift the trunk, but can press a button and the trunk automatically opens for them. Or infant in one hand and groceries in one hand and a light drizzle - perfect to use power lift gate feature," he said.

Moore also pointed out that "if your car is dirty or wet, you won't have to risk getting your hands messy. The opposite is that if your car is really clean and you don't like to see fingerprints on it, then this feature becomes useful," he said. Kia also has the feature where the height the trunk should open to can be set.

Moore claimed that "these features were first on premium models of luxury brands and are now available in our vehicles at a fraction of the cost. These small features will resonate in our minds when making purchases and lease decisions later in life".

Marketing officer at Fidelity Motors, David Crawford, said the power tailgate technology was introduced to the Nissan Murano 2009. He explained that drivers need only squeeze a concealed button for the tailgate to open. The Murano also comes equipped with a height adjustment feature, so that "once something is in the way, it detects it and the door stops midway".

The tailgate can also be operated using the main switch on the instrument panel.

According to NissanUSA, the lift gate can also be accessed even if the vehicle's battery is dead.