As part of the automaker’s “Jump 2013″ mid-term business plan, which was unveiled yesterday by company president Osamu Masuko, the current nameplates will all be phased out by 2014. As a result, the plant in Normal, IL, Mitsubishi’s only assembly factory in the United States, will pick up new models based on the platform that the Outlander crossover, Outlander Sport small crossover, and Lancer sedan are all based on, but it won’t be known until next month exactly what model will debut there.

The discontinuation of the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Eclipse Spyder, Endeavor and Galant models is just one element of Mitsubishi’s plan to build on the company’s three percent U.S. sales increase last year – the first after years of continuing decline. Despite the removal of the four models from its local lineup, however, Masuko predicted that American sales and production would rise, especially as the new vehicle family is ramped up.

Speaking to the press, Masuko said, “Our sales in North America will increase. We’ll still be selling cars brought in from Japan, and we’ll be adding the global small car as well.”

Masuko didn’t provide a sales target for the U.S. market, but Mitsubishi expects combined sales to the European, Japanese, and North American markets to grow by 90,000 units over the next three years. It was also noted that American business will likely get a boost from improvement in overall market demand, and that the intention is to maintain the retail network in the U.S. at roughly 400 dealerships.

Among the cars the automaker plans to bring to the U.S. are a global small car which will initially be produced in Thailand, and a Japanese-made i-MiEV electric vehicle, which will boast the label “i powered by MiEv” in North American markets when it goes on sale near the end of the year.

Mitsubishi’s director of franchise development, Joe Delello, explained to reporters, “We’re looking to add dealers in targeted markets.” Such markets include primarily major metropolitan areas, such as Baltimore, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washingong, D.C. Delello added, “These are open points where we believe there will be sufficient units in operation for service business. These are not buy-sells.”

As with most automakers, Mitsubishi has seen diminishing returns over the past few years, with sales falling from 261,254 in 1999 to 53,986 last year. The company has spent the last three years regrouping, devising new-product strategies like focusing on smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Recently, at the National Automobile Dealers Association convention in Orlando, FL, Mitsubishi representatives networked with potential dealers, and also displayed the new, small, i-Miev electric car, which will be coming to the United States along with a gasoline-powered twin.

Chicago-area Mitsubishi dealer, and chairman of the company’s National Dealer Advisory Board, Scott Grove told Automotive News reporters that he believes the brand needs to put more stores in markets where dealerships have recently closed. He also said that the factory is exercising caution when it comes to recruiting new dealers, however.

“We are not in boom growth,” said Grove. “We will make better decisions on where we approve points.”