Hawke's Bay police are hunting three people after a test drive turned into a brutal carjacking

A 70-year-old man was attacked as he was accompanying a potential buyer trying out his grandson's car in Hastings on Saturday.

The woman was stopped during her test drive, two masked men jumped inside and punched the elderly man in the head and body.

The trio left him in the street and drove off with the car.

It was used soon afterwards in a petrol drive-off.

Police are still hunting the trio and the stolen car - which is a silver Subaru, registration number FMU640.