Yes, the reason for the engine position on the 737 Max is that newer hi bypass ratio jet engines takes a lot of place.
As the original 737 was designed for flying with much smaller diameter P&W JT8D, it stands quite low on the ground with relatively short landing gear .
Thus, with newer and newer hi bypass engines , the engine pods had to be moved further up and front of the wing, which in turn changed the flight characteristics compare to the older versions. With the Max ,enough that it would have required client airlines to have to re-train their pilots on a new 737 flying differently than the original 737 they were trained for.
And here enters the infamous MCAS which was designed to keep the original 737 flight characteristics on the 737 Max, it was selling argument for the 737 Max, airlines buying it could have a « new » plane with state of the art economic engines, without having to pay for re-training their pilots.
Not a total success…
Thus, with newer and newer hi bypass engines , the engine pods had to be moved further up and front of the wing, which in turn changed the flight characteristics compare to the older versions. With the Max ,enough that it would have required client airlines to have to re-train their pilots on a new 737 flying differently than the original 737 they were trained for.
And here enters the infamous MCAS which was designed to keep the original 737 flight characteristics on the 737 Max, it was selling argument for the 737 Max, airlines buying it could have a « new » plane with state of the art economic engines, without having to pay for re-training their pilots. Not a total success…