TOKYO (AP) _ Suzuki Motor Corp. said Friday it will build a car assembly plant near St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city.

The automaker will invest 14 billion yen (US$115.7 million; for the plant that is expected to start operations in late 2009 with about 500 employees, the company said in a statement.

The plant will be used for assembling Grand Vitara and SX4 passenger cars, it said.

Suzuki is the third Japanese automaker to set up a plant in Russia after Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co., Kyodo News agency said. Toyota will begin production in December, and Nissan's plant is to be completed in 2009, the agency said.