Hi Priscilla- In regard to that ½” gap all the way around the doors, you are going to need that clearance to allow for proper door swing and airflow all around the unit. In other words, if you were to try and get rid of that reveal by enlarging the door panels, the doors would probably bind –up as you pivoted them open. (Eliminating the gap may also cause overheating issues.) If you look on Page 22 of the current SUB-ZERO DESIGN GUIDE (dated 5/2011 on the back cover), under the heading “Flush Inset Application” you will see a set of general bullet points, and the 5th one down explains why the ½” gap is needed.
Appliance manufacturers understand that space is at a premium in most residential kitchens, and as a rule they don’t specify extra spaces (or gaps) unless there is an actual, meaningful reason to have that gap or space there. So it’s risky to stray—even a little-- from their suggested clearances. Perhaps you could consider changing them if you had already installed that particular model fridge several times, so that you understood the why and how—but even then, I’d hesitate before I would advise anyone to, say, adjust the panel sizes.
I have to say that I applaud you, however, for doing the right thing: you took the time to review the fridge sections, and you clearly understand them well enough to realize that there will be ½” reveals all around the perimeter of the unit when it is correctly installed. (Just FYI: although a ½” reveal sounds huge, it really doesn’t seem to stand out in the finished installation.)