A pedestrian protection apparatus for use with a motor vehicle having a windshield, a cowl and an engine hood is provided. The apparatus includes a deployable hood extender, movable between a stowed position within or beneath the hood and a deployed position, wherein the hood extender substantially overlaps the cowl or an area of increased component stiffness rearward of the vehicle hood and beneath at least a portion of the windshield. The hood extender may include a positional control portion, an energy absorbing portion, a bending control feature, and softened edges. The hood extender may be a single moveable panel or may comprise a plurality of moveable panels, strips or rod-like elements, wherein the plurality of elements may be rigidly or pivotally attached to one another for linear or rotational displacement between stowed and deployed positions. The hood extender may be an expandable lattice structure. An actuation lock is included.