Key cylinder release mechanism for vehicle closure latches, latch assembly therewith and method of mechanically releasing a vehicle closure latch

A latch assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:

• a ratchet moveable between a striker release position and a striker capture position;
• a ratchet biasing member biasing said ratchet toward said striker release position;
• a pawl moveable between a ratchet checking position to hold said ratchet in said striker capture position and a ratchet release position to permit movement of said ratchet to said striker release position;
• a pawl biasing member biasing said pawl toward said ratchet checking position;
• a latch release mechanism operable in a latch lock mode to locate said pawl in said ratchet checking position and operable in a latch release mode to locate said pawl in said ratchet release position;
• a power-operated actuation mechanism operable to shift said latch release mechanism from said latch lock mode into said latch release mode;
• and
• a mechanical key cylinder release mechanism operable in a lock mode to maintain said latch release mechanism in said latch lock mode and in an unlock mode to shift said latch release mechanism into its latch release mode, said key cylinder release mechanism having a key cylinder requiring at least two distinct actuation inputs via a key to move a release link from a lock position out of operable contact with said latch release mechanism to an unlock position to operably shift said latch release mechanism into said latch release mode.