Website design By BotEap.comIf you’re an Asian automaker, you have an automatic advantage in the US market, right? Well, no. Since the local market is highly competitive, smaller brands often have a hard time trying. Asian brands like Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai and Honda are strong, as are the Big Three US brands, tough competitors for smaller brands. Read on for a review of four small Asian automakers that have seen their American fortunes dry up.

Website design By BotEap.com1. Daihatsu. From the 1980s through 1993, Daihatsu models were sold in the US This Japanese small car maker might have tried, but clearly couldn’t find its place among the bigger players. A small network of dealers was notable for selling more than 16,000 vehicles in any year, plus the Japanese government limited exports in the face of pressure from the US.

Website design By BotEap.com2.Isuzu. One of the most promising emerging Japanese automakers was Isuzu, a brand best known for its compact trucks and diesel engines. At its peak in the 1980s, Isuzu sold more than 125,000 vehicles in a year, Automotive News reports, a number that gradually dwindled. Isuzu eventually stopped building its own vehicles and sold rebadged GM products. Without a single model, customer interest disappeared and so did the brand.

Website design By BotEap.com3.Suzuki. Although its sales number exceeded 100,000 units per ounce, Suzuki is a much bigger player than most people realize. Especially in Asia. The company sells more than 2.7 million vehicles a year, but has struggled to maintain its foothold in North America. The lack of new models and weak product differentiation has hurt this company. Also, with no auto plant in North America, cars must be imported from Japan, where transportation costs and a strong yen kill profits.

Website design By BotEap.com4.Daewoo. The only Korean brand on this list is Daewoo, a company that failed to maintain a viable presence in the US. Its tenure was brief, but it was its bland and even polarizing body styling that hurt this company the most. Another factor was its bankruptcy, with General Motors jumping in and buying its assets for a fire sale price. Although the Daewoo brand has given way to Chevrolet, GM sells one product in America today: the Chevrolet Sonic, formerly the Aveo.

Website design By BotEap.comBrands at risk

Website design By BotEap.comA handful of other brands are also at risk of eventually exiting the US market. Mitsubishi, once a vehicle supplier to Chrysler, has seen its sales drop to 14 percent from their 2002 highs. Mazda, which partnered with Ford to build a series of small and midsize vehicles, struggles to stay relevant and is confident its future in new models, including the 2014 Mazda6. Subaru may buck the trend of smaller Asian automakers leaving the market, as Toyota has snapped up a piece of Fuji Heavy Industries, its parent company. That arrangement has also produced its first product: the ultra-hot Subaru BRZ sports coupe.