I had the same issue with Bronco Sport wheels (which also use 12mm studs). The BS wheels fit over the 14mm studs just fine, the taper is the same, I only lost about 3/4 of a turn of lug nut engagement.
HRG
It's been said multiple times that the Hybrid system (with it's regenerative braking) and the 2.0EB systems are different. You have a Hybrid, I have a EB.
HRG
I just measured the diagonal, from the lower-front corner to the inside-top of the tailgate, at 57-3/4". I bet it will fit.
My Werner MT-22 is way too long,,,,,
HRG
Honestly, I did not expect such a dramatic downshift. At the time, I was at about 40mph, well under 2K rpm, and the L button brought it over 5K, so like you said, down to 3rd or 4th (out of 8).
I found an earlier thread where someone retrofit paddle shifters, which gave him incremental control...
The front track is .6" wider than the rear (.3"/side), so I'd look at 1/4" spacers. But, you are giving up a fair amount of lug nut engagement, unless you're going to have longer studs installed.
HRG