Ford plans to spend BR$800m (US$446m) building a new global model in its Sao Bernardo do Campo plant near Sao Paulo.

Marcos de Oliveira, president of Ford Brazil and South America, gave AFP no further details of the new model, saying only that the investment would be for “production of a new global vehicle.”

The Sao Bernardo plant, which produces the Ka, Courier and F-250 models, has an annual production capacity of 160,000 cars and light vehicles as well as 40,000 trucks.

Industry speculation is that the new model is the redesigned EcoSport small SUV due to make its global debut in New Delhi next month. The current version is made in Brazil but the model line now looks like going global.