Well, this may only be slightly related.
Some time ago I got to spend a lot of time with a few GM powertrain engineers.
One of the subjects was " thermal engine mapping ".
It is unbelievable how much time, effort & research goes into this, before some underhood components are placed.
Another subject was underhood location for the placement of components that may be affected by crashes, such as brake hardware, et.
While manufacturers of vehicles are constantly striving to reduce " body gaps ", ( this is viewed as a quality control issue by some consumers ), there may still be some mysterious reason for your " large " hood gaps.
There, I've said my piece in defense of the Fatherland!
