First step,
get an assistant to push down on the bonnet, while pulling the cable.
Next, if as you say it is slightly up but not releasing, have assistant push on the side of the bonnet toward drivers side, or use plastic lever etc. being careful not to damage anything and apply pressure to the side while pulling cable, sometimes miss aligned hinges can cause it to jam.
If no good, then there's the hard bit.
There is a small hole to the right of catch where cable bolts to. Use a solid piece of wire or tube, about the thickness of say, a Philips screwdriver, bend the end at slightly more than 90 deg, (about 100deg.) make this bent end about 50 mm long so as to insert it into the hole deep enough, Might have to be shorter, but it was a while ago I did this when my cable broke. Trial and error I'm afraid.
I've attached a picture of this hole just behind the top of grill. The center Philips screw is for fixing the front grill and is center of grill, the actual hole is exactly 60mm to the right. It was a real pain to find and to rotate rod to get into the hole, but it can be done with lots of swearing and several beers.
Once in the hole push rod in (to back of car) and to the right to release catch. pushing it in puts pressure against nut to prevent slipping. If you manage to get rod behind nut, pushing it in won't work, so try pulling.
From memory It took about an hour of trying different methods
Some say force off passenger side headlight and use wire with hook to get in there, but it involves risking breaking the tabs that hold light in, more problems.
Hope this helps,
bonnet release.jpg
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