You’re not going to get out of a Passat and have a racing heartbeat, indeed, the opposite is likely, the Passat being a calming thing to drive. Engines range from 1.4 TSI 125 to 2.0 TSI 220 DSG ...
We would opt for the SE since it brings a dual-zone automatic climate control and adaptive cruise control (ACC). Note though, that the ACC is not designed for stop and go traffic.