TOKYO — For all of Suzuki’s tough talk about its ‘‘bush-busting’’ Samurai off-roader, the Japanese automaker never made it big in the United States. Its cars were too small, its safety record iffy, and its branding a bit too comical (Suzuki Sidekick, anyone?).

So it came as little surprise to most analysts when Suzuki announced late Monday that it would stop selling automobiles in the United States and put its American unit into Chapter 11 bankruptcy.