A tourist visiting from Vietnam has been left bloodied and bruised after he was assaulted in a traffic incident in Sydney.

Thien Nguyen was driving to a picnic with his girlfriend in Brighton Le Sands on Friday when a man in a white Mercedes four-wheel-drive took offence to his driving.

Mr Nguyen said he had stopped his car when he heard his girlfriend apologising before his car door swung open and he received several punches to his face, Nine News reported.

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Thien Nguyen has been left bloodied and bruised after he was assaulted in a traffic incident in Sydney

'I was just sitting in the car waiting for the lights to turn green, and I hear my girlfriend saying "sorry, sorry",' Mr Nguyen said.

'And the door got opened and I came out of the car and he started hitting me repeatedly.

Mr Nguyen suffered a chipped tooth, stitches to his cheek and a bloodied nose in the short but violent attack.

The young man was taken to St George Hospital for treatment but was released a short time later.

The driver of the Mercedes four-wheel-drive is known to police. He fled the scene before briefly returning in another vehicle and then leaving again.

Mr Nguyen suffered a chipped tooth, stitches to his cheek and a bloodied nose in the short but violent attack

Thien Nguyen was driving to a picnic with his girlfriend (pictured) in Brighton Le Sands on Friday when a man in a white Mercedes four-wheel-drive took offence to his driving