Okay, so I've spent a fair bit of time with the car so far and just do a short writeup on my thoughts to this point. Might be informative to those folks in the US who are eagerly awaiting Alfa's return Stateside, although they probably won't be bringing the 147 over.
First off, no mechanical failures with the car. The roar of the 2.0L Twinspark is as sweet as ever and the Selespeed hasn't given up the ghost yet. Mind you, it's not the perfect gearbox; it's pretty awful when stuck in traffic jams, 'cos getting on and off the throttle in first gear (with the occasional upshift to second) is a lot jerkier than what you'd get in a proper slushbox or a proper manual. The city mode is there to be ignored. It does save you from working your left leg, but there are compromises to be made.
Build quality has been passable, but wouldn't rate much higher than that. The hood was slightly offset to one side, the right rear wheel well lining had a portion that came loose and the factory fitted stereo wasn't mounted to be completely flush with the surroundings. Minor niggles that the dealer fixed when I pointed out the issues, but they were there when I collected the car.
Being an Alfa, there are a lot of minor quirks that you have to get used to. Features like electrically-folding wing mirrors are missing (even my friend's Yaris has that!), but you get height-adjustable headlamps instead. There's a lock on the gas cap that you have to manually unlock to pump gas - it's a bit strange in Singapore 'cos the gas stations have pump attendants that handle the whole procedure for you, so having to walk over and unlock the cap for them just seems a bit awkward. Guess it wouldn't be as big an issue if you pumped your own gas. Even a detail like having a tire pressure label on the car itself is overlooked, so you'd have to pull out the manual in case you happen to forget the recommended pressures.
She's a sweet daily driver. The chassis feels solid while the suspension is sufficiently stiff without making the ride unbearable. There's a small windy road that I take everyday to go to work, so it gives me the opportunity to give the engine a nice workout twice a weekday. That short blast is sufficient enough to improve even the crappiest of days!
I'd love to get more photos and perhaps even a video, but the recent rainy weather hasn't helped. Perhaps another time, then.