NEW DELHI— Ford Motor Co. , already under scrutiny for moving small-car production to Mexico, will start exporting small sport-utility vehicles to the U.S. from India starting late next year.

The auto maker will export the EcoSport—the smallest SUV in Ford’s global lineup—from its plant near the southern Indian city of Chennai. It will start sending them from India in late 2017 and they will be available at dealerships in early 2018, said a Ford spokesman.

It will be the first time Ford sells vehicles in the U.S. from its Indian factories, which have been making cars for more than 20 years.

“Commencement of exports to the U.S. marks a significant milestone in Ford’s Make-in-India journey and boosts India’s credentials as a world-class manufacturing hub,” said Kapil Sharma, a spokesman for Ford in India.

Ford’s move comes as American auto makers struggle to justify making certain vehicles in the U.S. General Motors Co. is cutting thousands of jobs at car plants for instance. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV quit making small cars in the States altogether and is now relying on imports for part of their lineup.