It's not normal. Had this exact same problem with my cuore, I installed fresh radiator with new radiator pipes and hoses, essentially a brand new cooling system. The needle went to middle max, as it should, but the hood was too hot to even touch. I kept ignoring the problem until 1 month later the head gasket leaked.
In my case, the engine timing was advanced which was making the car overheat.
According to Xulfiqar bhai, an experienced Pakwheeler, these japanese designed cars have stupid heat guages that stay in the middle for too long... Enough to shift the head gasket. If like my cuore even the hood latch is too hot to open, then my advice is get it checked on first convenience.