So . . . . who do you trust the most? A dedicated and respected "professional trade-only" publisher, or a sensationalist "consumer" magazine? 
And no, I don't have any particular dislike of Top Gear - in fact, the automotive world would be a much duller place without them (but we really do need to get rid of that utter shyte, commonly known as Fifth Gear 
). But would TG mag really have any desire to print what is relatively boring commerce-based issues? 
No I'm not saying I trust everything in TG - I realise that they mainly print for 'entertainment' purposes as opposed to absolute facts . However this article is based around a series of quotes, all of which are from the head of VW product marketing. What I meant was it is plausible, and that if VW make a statement about why they are changing to the new model 2 years early they're obviously not going to say it is to save themselves money. I dont believe either that Kia and Hyundai posed any threat to the customer base of the Mk V Golf and so I merely believe that this could be a possibility and that the reasons they have stated are simply 'marketing' spin.
And I actually agree with you.
I think it is well known that the Golf 5 was expensive to produce. However, this is not some kind of knee-jerk reaction - Volkswagen are simply responding to two crucial business areas, economics, and what their competators are doing.
And whilst most sane Volkswagen owners would never consider that Kia, Hyundai, and any of the other Asian manufacturers could be seen as direct competators - they (VW) would be foolish not to respond to the media bollox from the likes of VBH and her pond life at Fifth Gear. And they would also be foolish not to respond to the current economic climate.
I have no doubt that many early Golf 5 owners, who might in normal economic times, have changed for a newer Golf 5 on a regular basis - are now actually not buying them. But if VW can tempt them with a fresh new model, this should then kick-start sales of Golfs again.
