When Ford brought the Taurus back from the dead after a brief hiatus, the former mid-size sedan had grown to full-size proportions. Of course that all happened just as America decided fuel economy and efficiency were the most important aspects of a new car. As such, sales of the Taurus as-is haven’t met expectations, necessitating a complete redesign based on stretched version of the Fusion platform.

At least that’s the report coming out of Edmunds, which sees a lighter and faster Taurus that finally ditches the old Volvo DC3 platform its been riding on. But The Truth About Cars says the new Taurus isn’t made for America, but rather China.

The report from Edmunds makes a lot of sense, and you don’t need an industry insider to know why. Fuel economy regulations mean cars have to get leaner and meaner, and the current Taurus is too heavy to deliver the kind of competitive MPG competitors are starting to deliver. The new Chevy Impala is rated at up to 35 MPG on the highway to the 32 MPG of the Taurus, for example.

But there’s also the issue of lagging full-size car sales as a whole. The segment is being cannibalized by crossover sales in America, and TTAC says that the next Taurus is planned for China , where full-size cars remain popular. Here in the U.S., the Taurus faces another discontinuation,as the Fusion nameplate seems ready to be the Blue Oval flag bearer going forward. The Ford Explorer Police Interceptor, meanwhile, is doing just fine as far as Ford is concerned, offering cops plenty of power for pursuit and patrol.

So, a newer, lighter, faster Ford Taurus, but for China? Let’s hope Ford keeps America in the loop this time around.