I've found out what it is now.
It's a Bravo 1.9 Multijet Dynamic. 5 door. Black, it is.
First impressions: Front end looks a bit like a Quattroporte. If you squint a bit. Definitely Maserati influence in there. Interior is pretty usual small hatch stuff, keep fit windows in the back, but electric mirrors, air conditioning and one of the best OEM fit audio systems I've heard for a while. Some interior plastics are cheap, but they're the ones you don't usually touch. All surfaces you touch are either rubberised or slush moulded. Strangely, the dash is surfaced in a soft-touch fake carbon fibre. Starting it up reveals quite a rough sounding engine. Makes me appreciate how much sound proofing there is in cars the next size up.
Driving: Engine smoothes out nicely as you rev it - usual diesel red-line at somewhere just short of 5k rpm, but it freely revs all the way round, at least in the first 3 gears. Ride is a little harsh, but it's a medium sized hatch - 'they all do that, Sir' Handling is typically Italian, sharp steering and plenty of feedback. lots of grip, but, sadly, the arse is a quite hard to unstick, at least in the dry.
Verdict: Would I buy one? - probably not, but I can't think of any cooking spec. medium hatch I would buy. However, as a car for a family who want something new without spending too much, I reckon Fiat should have a winner on their hands - it looks sharp, the build quality is at least class average and it drives well. £13k is the asking price for one.
Howver, if I was offered a 150bhp version with the Sport pack and a chance to spec things up a bit as a company car, I'd have to say I'd be quite tempted. It's a step down in size, but I don't need a full sized car anyway [1]- we have the Golf GT-TDI and Jetta 2.0TDI-SE on the list for next year, so I'll more than likely be taking a step down anyway. (Especially as our Passat spec. has been downgraded on the back of the interest rate and hence lease cost rises of recent months).
[1] I thought I did, the company tells me I do, but I've resorted to keeping stuff in the garage rather than carry stuff around that hasn't been out of it's stacker box since I ordered it.... and something the next size down is easier to park in some of the stores I visit.