Suzuki to build Russian car plant

Suzuki has signed an agreement to build a new car assembly production plant in St Petersburg, creating 500 new jobs.

Osamu Suzuki, chairman and CEO of Suzuki, and Herman Gref, Russia’s Minister of Economic Development and Trade, signed the €90m agreement last week at the St Petersburg Economic Forum.

The 243,000m2 sized plant will be built in St Petersburg’s Shushary industrial zone, and is scheduled to start operating by the end of 2009. It is expected to produce 5,000 cars in the first year, with future predictions showing an increase to 30,000 units each year.

The new plant will produce the sports car models Grand Vitara and SX4.

In 2006, Suzuki dealers in Russia sold 16,000 units of the Grand Vitara sports car, as well as other models.